LORD DENMANsaid, that, seeing the noble Marquess the Leader of the Opposition in his place, he desired to call his attention to a report in the morning papers, from which it appeared that the noble Marquess, presiding at the Hertford Quarter Sessions, had said—
He had always tried to impress juries that evidence of that kind was evidence to which they should not attach the slightest importance.The report did not appear to be a full one, and his object in calling the attention of the noble Marquess to the matter was to give him an opportunity of disclaiming any intention of saying that the evidence of policemen generally was not to be relied upon. An Act of Parliament imposed upon the police the duty of cautioning prisoners against saying anything which might criminate themselves, because anything they might say might be used against them; but his noble Relative—who had been thanked by Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons for his testimony as to the good conduct of the police soon after their establishment—constantly expressed his wish that prisoners might be allowed to state anything they wished, when first apprehended; because, if corroborated by evidence or circumstances, it would be of the greatest importance to them on their trial.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, my noble Friend gave me no Notice of this Question. I have not even seen the report to which he referred; but undoubtedly the statement I made as the Chairman of Quarter Sessions appears to be very much in the sense of that which was made by the distinguished Judge, the Relative of my noble Friend—that is to say, that we ought not to attach any importance to evidence extracted from prisoners by interrogation by the police.