§ Mr. BYLESasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state how many persons in England and Wales have, during the ten years ended 31st December, 1908, been convicted of murder and executed; so convicted and not executed, or convicted of attempted murder; and how many in each class had not been previously convicted either for felony or misdemeanour, had been once so previously convicted, had been twice or oftener so previously convicted, or might be described as habitual criminals?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEpresented the following table, showing the number of persons in England and Wales who have, during the ten years ended 31st December, 1908, been convicted of murder and executed, so convicted and and not executed, or convicted of attempted murder, showing how many in each class had not been previously convicted either of felony or misdemeanour, had been once so previously convicted, or had been twice or oftener so previously convicted:—
Year. MURDER. ATTEMPTED MURDER. EXECUTED. NOT EXECUTED. Total. Not Previously convicted. Once Previously convicted. Twice or oftener Previously convicted. Total Not Previously convicted. Once Previously convicted. Twice or oftener Previously convicted. Total. Not Previously convicted. Once Previously convicted. Twice or oftener Previously convicted. 1899 … 15 13 2 — 14 11 — 3 14 9 2 3 1900 … 13 12 — 1 7 7 — — 8 7 — 1 1901 … 15 11 3 1 13 8 4 1 25 19 3 3 1902 … 22 18 1 3 11 11 — — 21 17 1 3 1903 … 27 18 7 2 14 13 1 — 20 12 3 5 1901 … 16 12 2 2 12 11 — 1 11 8 1 2 1905 … 17 13 1 3 15 12 — 3 13 10 2 1 1906 … 9 5 1 3 18 17 — 1 14 12 2 — 1907 … 9 5 3 1 11 10 1 — 26 20 1 5 1908 … 13 11 1 1 12 10 1 1 15 11 1 3 I cannot undertake to review the several cases and decide in each whether the offender might properly be described as an "habitual criminal." The number of previous convictions is not a decisive test on this point.