§ MR. JOHN WARDI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet completed his inquiry into the recent sentences passed by Sir Ralph Littler at the Middlesex Sessions; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.
§ MR. W. THORNEI beg also to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has completed his inquiries with reference to the sentences passed on two labourers by Sir Ralph Littler at the September Middlesex Sessions, wherein one man was sentenced to three years' penal servitude and two years' police supervision for stealing apples to the value of 1s., and the other was sentenced to twelve months' hard labour for stealing three penny eggs; and whether he can now see his way clear to order the sentences to be reduced.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI find, on inquiry, that Sir Ralph Littler had already decided to reduce the sentence of three years penal servitude to one of eighteen months hard labour, and that his decision had been communicated to the prisoner on 23rd September last. This man had three previous convictions of felony, for which he received sentences of six weeks hard labour, twelve months under the Borstal system, and fifteen months hard labour. Having regard, however, to the nature of his present offence, I propose to communicate with Sir R. Littler with a view to a further reduction of sentence. In the other case the prisoner had no less than nineteen previous convictions, including five of felony, and during the last ten years he has served eleven terms of imprisonment, ranging from fourteen days to three months. He gave notice of appeal against his present sentence, but abandoned it. In view of the criminal record of this man, I cannot think that the sentence of twelve months hard labour is excessive, and I am not prepared to recommend that it should be reduced.