§ Mr. GIBSON BOWLESasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that Thomas Parker, aged sixteen, was charged before Mr. Hopkins, at Lambeth Police Court, with disorderly" conduct and, upon the evidence of a. single policeman, fined £5, and in default sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment in the third division, and thereupon committed to Wandsworth Prison; will he inquire into the circumstances under which a boy of good character, who denies having committed any disorder, was thus imprisoned on uncorroborated evidence; and can he say how many persons under the age of twenty-one are annually imprisoned by the magistrates of the Metropolitan, police courts in default of paying fines?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI have made inquiry as to the facts of this case. The particulars mentioned in the first paragraph are correct except that the lad was not immediately committed to prison, but allowed three weeks for payment of the fine. The 1627 offence, gross rowdyism towards women and girls, was a serious one of its class, which it was necessary to punish, but it appears to me that the amount of the fine was disproportionate to the prisoner's means. After he had been in prison for a few days the balance was paid by one of the visiting justices, and the prisoner released. The prisoner does not appear to have disputed the accuracy of the evidence given by the police-constable, and it was certainly not questioned in the applications I received on his behalf. I am sorry that I have not got the information asked for in the last part of the question. I may add, however, that I am considering the general question of the punishment of youths for minor offences, with a view to seeing in what manner committals to prison can be dispensed with or at least diminished.