§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the sentences passed upon James and Sarah Darley, at Sheffield, of six months' hard labour for child neglect; whether he is aware that Sarah Darley had twelve children to look after and was in a poor condition of health at the time of the offence; whether he is aware that James Darley bears an excellent character and that his employer, for whom he has worked twenty-seven years, describes him as a hard-working, steady, industrious, and well-conducted man; whether he is aware that the sentence passed is considered by local associations of work-people to be a miscarriage of justice; and whether he is prepared to take action to reduce the sentence?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe facts have been brought to my notice, but I regret that I have not found in them any sufficient reason for recommending a reduction of the sentence.