§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Home Secretary if his attention has been drawn to two cases recently heard in the Clerken-well Police Court arising out of a trade dispute, in the first a trade-union workman, named Turley, being charged with a trivial assault upon a non-unionist workman, and sentenced to one month's hard labour, without the option of a fine, in the second a non-unionist workman charged with striking a picket and who was simply bound over to keep the peace; and whether under these circumstances he can see his way to advise the release from prison of the trade unionist?
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§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe sentence in each case was within the discretion of the magistrate, who took into consideration the widely different circumstances of the two cases. Turley was one of a number of men who were surrounding the prosecutor, and he struck him twice with his fist on the face. In Smith's case the assault was of a trivial nature, and the evidence whether or not he had provocation was conflicting. If Turley was dissatisfied with his sentence he had a right to appeal to Quarter Sessions, and I found no ground for interference in his case when I considered it last month. He has now been released in ordinary course. I have no power, even if I desired to do so, to increase the sentence in the other case.