§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Alfred Carr, a painter out of work, with no previous convictions against him, who was tried before the magistrate at Marylebone, on April 20th, and sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment with hard labour for begging on the streets; and whether, in view of this sentence, and of the man's previous character, he proposes taking any action in the matter and to prevent its repetition.
§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASI have already made inquiries into this case. It appears to have been one of the numerous instances of following and pestering foot passengers—a practice which has latterly been much on the increase in the district. There were thirteen such charges on the day in question, out of a list of forty prisoners. A fine in such cases is of course inapplicable, and the only punishment that can be given is imprisonment. I do not propose to take any action in the matter, as I 1129 have no reason to believe that the London magistrates exercise harshly the discretion which the law entrusts to them in these cases.