§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS (Kent, St. Augustine's)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in respect of the exercise of the prerogative of mercy in indictable cases, how many petitions were sent in to the Home Office in 1905 from or on behalf of persons convicted on indictment and in respect to what number of cases; in how many cases were complaints made of wrong convictions; in how many cases were complaints made of undue severity of the sentence; and in how many cases was the first petition sent in within three months of the conviction.
§ (Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) The following table gives the information asked for by the right hon. Member:—
§ informal. The total number of petitions in indictable cases was 3,145, but 946
591§ related to questions of prison treatment, conditions of release, etc., and are not included above. In 614 of the 1,499 cases the first petition was received within three months of the date when sentence was passed. Petitions which raised questions both as to the conviction and sentence are counted under the head "Conviction."