§ MR. F. E. SMITH (Liverpool, Walton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Homo Department whether the presiding magistrate in the Edalji case took notes of the proceedings; if so, whether such notes have been for some time at the disposal of the Home Office; and whether the Committee which reported upon the verdict had the advantage of having the notes before them.
§ *MR. GLADSTONEThe Deputy Chairman took rough pencil notes of the proceedings in the Edalji case, which were sent up to the Home Office in December, 1903. They were returned to the magistrate at his request in January, 1904. The Committee did not have the notes before them nor did they ask for them. They had before them the two letters from the Deputy Chairman reporting on the case, printed copies of the depositions taken before the committing magistrates; and the newspaper reports of the proceedings in court.