§ MR. J. MACVEAGHI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can state the total number of murders in Great Britain within the last five years for which statistics are available; the number of cases in which prosecutions followed; the number of cases for which no person was put on trial; and the number of cases in which accused persons were acquitted.
§ MR. GLADSTONEMy information extends only to England and Wales; any question as to Scotland should be addressed to the Secretary for Scotland. The total number of murders known to the police during the five years 1902–6 was 751, including 267 cases of infanticide. The number of persons prosecuted for murder by the Director of Public Prosecutions was 623; this is not quite the total number of such prosecutions, a few cases having been undertaken by the prosecuting solicitor for the City of Liverpool. The number acquitted at their trial was sixty-nine.
§ MR. J. MACVEAGHIn view of the fact that these figures show that a large number of murderers are 32 running loose in this country, would it be fair on the part of an hon. Member of this House to allege that the English people are a race of murderers and assassins?
§ [No Answer was returned.]