§ 7. Sir WILLIAM WAYLANDasked the Secretary of State for India if he is aware that the law in certain districts of India empowers the judges in cases of attempted assassination or of violent assaults upon the person to sentence 1431 prisoners convicted of these offences to flogging in addition to imprisonment; and will he recommend to the Government of India that the law should be made uniform throughout India so that flogging in addition to imprisonment can be inflicted for these crimes?
§ Sir S. HOAREI am not quite sure what my hon. Friend has in mind. There is no provision in any part of India for the sentence of whipping in addition to imprisonment for attempted assassination or violent assault as such. In Burma in certain circumstances persons sentenced to imprisonment may also be liable to whipping under Section 2 of the Whipping (Burma Amendment) Act, 1927, and in Bombay City the Act passed in 1933 enables whipping to be inflicted on persons convicted of rioting or rioting armed with deadly weapons. As regards the last part of the question, I do not consider that any general provisions of this nature are called for.
§ Sir W. WAYLANDDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that the skin of a would-be assassin is of less value than the lives of British officials?
§ Sir S. HOAREThat is a very general question. My answer is that I have had no representation from any of the Provincial Governments asking for these further powers. I have great confidence in the administrators on the spot, and I do not think that these powers are required.
§ Mr. D. GRENFELLIs it not in consonance with our responsibilities towards India that the penal code in India should approximate as closely as possible to that of our own country?
§ Sir S. HOAREIn all these matters, I greatly prefer to accept the considered judgment of the man on the spot.