§ Mr. MacNEILLasked whether the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been called to the fact that Cyril Marsh Nearns, headmaster of the National schools at Ashford, under the Middlesex County Council, was, on the 6th instant, summoned for assaulting one of his pupils, aged 10, who, because he was unable to perform an allotted task in drawing, was placed by Nearns over a desk and thrashed with a cane until it broke in two, and that Nearns was convicted by the Bench unanimously, and fined £5, the highest penalty within their power to inflict; whether he is aware that the mother of this boy was, previously to this occurrence, summoned before the school attendance committee for rot sending her children regularly to school, and alleged that the conduct of Nearns to her children rendered their attendance impossible; and what course does he intend to take with reference to Nearns with a view of checking the infliction of similar barbarities on children?
§ Mr. TREVELYANThis case is under consideration. I am not in a position to make any statement at present.
§ Mr. MacNEILLMay I put down a question with reference to this in ten days' time?
§ Mr. TREVELYANYes.