§ 43. Mr. HUNTasked whether any man or woman, whether a suffragette or not, would, under the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health) Act., be let out of prison, although convicted of purposely 721 breaking windows or setting fire to houses, if he or she decided to starve themselves whilst in prison?
§ Mr. McKENNAIf the hon. Member means by "any man or woman" every man or woman, the answer is in the negative. If, however, the ordinary construction is placed upon the words "any man or woman," the answer would depend upon the circumstances of each case.
§ Mr. HUNTAre we to understand that any persons who call themselves suffragettes, whether they are of the gender of the goose or the gander, are now under the law given privileges which are not allowed to other people? Would the right hon. Gentleman make that clear?
§ Mr. McKENNAIf the hon. Member means whether in every case such persons would be given privileges, the answer is in the negative. If he means that in a particular case privileges might be given to that particular person, the answer is that it would depend upon the circumstances of the individual case.
§ Mr. HUNTThen we are to understand that suffragettes have got a chance of getting some advantage over all other people under the Home Secretry's late Act?
§ Mr. McKENNANo, on the contrary, I am afraid that the effects of starvation in prison cannot be described as an advantage.
§ 60. Viscount WOLMERasked the Home Secretary why he has offered Miss Agnes Lake, who was recently sentenced to six months' imprisonment in the third division for managing the advertisement columns of the "Suffragette," a pardon on condition that she resigns her membership of the Women's Social and Political Union; and what authority he has for attaching conditions as to a prisoner's future politics to any pardon conferred on her?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Noble Lord has been misinformed. I have made no such offer.
§ Viscount WOLMERWould the right hon. Gentleman state he has not offered a conditional pardon to this lady?
§ Mr. McKENNAThat is not the question which the Noble Lord has put on the Paper.
§ Viscount WOLMERHas the right hon. Gentleman offered this lady a pardon on condition that she refrains from identifying herself with this militant union?
§ Mr. McKENNAThat is exactly the question which the Noble Lord has on the Paper, and which I have answered in the negative.
§ Lord HUGH CECILHas there been an offer?
§ Mr. McKENNAI cannot say from memory whether in this particular case I have made any offer at all, but if I did it would be similar to other cases, that if they gave an undertaking that they will not join in any future action to break the law, not to keep out of a particular organisation or not, but if they will not break the law, I will consider whether the case should not be favourably dealt with.