§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of women enduring imprisonment at the present time owing to circumstances arising out of the Suffragist agitation, and of the imprisoned women how many are suffering imprisonment by a sentence passed by a Judge on conviction after a trial by jury; what is the period of the imprisonment and in what division, how many under sentences inflicted by magistrates, and for what terms and in what divisions have they been placed, and how many for failure to give securities to be of good behaviour although they have been convicted of no offence, and the sentence of imprisonment from which there is no appeal is regarded by law as no punishment; and whether, having regard to the circumstances and the fact that these ladies have not been guilty of any offence savouring of moral degradation, he will consider the desirability of advising the Crown to exercise its prerogative for their release in order to enable them to spend Christmastide in their homes instead of in a prison.
§ MR. GLADSTONEThree ladies are at present imprisoned. They were sentenced by a Metropolitan magistrate, two to three months, and one to ten weeks imprisonment, in default of finding sureties to be of good behaviour. They are being treated under the rules for second division prisoners. As regards the last part of the Question, I must ask my hon. friend to excuse me from making any statement at the present time.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIS not the treatment accorded to these ladies slightly different from that accorded to Dr. Jameson, C. B., and his confederates?
§ MR. LONSDALE (Armagh, Mid)Are not these ladies treated with far greater severity than the cattle-drivers in Ireland?
§ [No Answer was returned.]