§ 61. Sir WILLIAM BYLESasked the Home Secretary whether, seeing that the Home Office so frequently overrides the Law by refusing to execute a capital sentence pronounced by the Courts, almost invariably so in the case of female criminals, he will see his way to extend a like clemency to all male offenders under sentence of death who have not yet reached the age of manhood nor assumed the duties and responsibilities of citizenship?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer is in the negative. Neither I nor my predecessors have thought it desirable to lay down a hard and fast rule such as my hon. Friend suggests.
§ Sir W. BYLESWill the consideration which leads to clemency in the case of women also apply to immature youths like those mentioned in my question?
§ Mr. McKENNANo, Sir. In the great bulk of the cases in which clemency has been extended to women, the murder has been the murder of an infant child.