The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-03 00:00:00

CORPORAL PUNNIIMENT.

Mr. DUNCOM BE renewt.d a motion, notice of which
he gave last session, with respect to the infliction of
corporal punishment in the army.—Agreed to.
TURNIP STEALING —CONVICTION OF TWO

CHILDREN IN ESSEX.
Dr. BOWRINQ wished to draw the attention of
he Right Honourable Baronet the Secretary 'of State
'or the Home Department to the following state-
ment, which had appeared in the Times :—On the
2d of January two children, the son and daughter
of a poer man named Lee, who, for the last
three years,- had occupied a cottage in the parish of
Chingford. in Essex, for which he paid 2s. 6d, a week,
were detected by the foreman of a person named Green
picking up turnip. They were Wren by the man to
Chiugford, for the purpose of being given into
the charge of a police-constable, and to Waltham
for the purpose of getting a magistrate to hear the case.
Mr. Preston, a magistrate, heard the case, and before
him the foreman swore that the turnips were worth 3d.
The children were convicted ie the penalty and costs,
amouming to 1/. Os. 61. In default of payment
they were to be imprisoned for fourteen days
in Ilford gaol. They were taken there in the
course of a day on which a severe frost prevailed,
fifteen or sixteen miles. On the following day they
were lib,rated, in consequence of their father having
borrowed the money and paid the fine and expenses.
He (Dr. 11)wring) hot been informed by the father and
mother of the childre', that they ,4 ere ready to
swear that from the Saturday to the Sunday
the children were released, they bad nothing to
eat save a two-pound loaf. He was also informed that
on the following day, the 4th of January, a man and his
daughter were convicted by the eatne magistrate of steal-
ing a few coals, which were valued at one penny. They
were released from custody, however, as the grand jury
ignored the bill. New, he wished to know whether the
conduct of this magistrate had excited the attention of
the Right. Hen. Baronet ?
Sir GEORCiE GREY said, in conseqeenee of the
notice of the Hon. and Learned I.lember, he had caused
an inquiry into the circumstances as detailed, which
were similar to these which had appeared in the news-
papers.—(gear. hear.) In the Times of to-day,
however, the Honourable Gentleintio would find a
letter from the Rev. Mr. Reed, the Rector of Ching-
ford, which gave a very different versien of the matter.
The only information he had been able to obtain, in ad-
ditirn to that furnished by the Rev. Mr. Reed, was derive d
from the Commissioners of Police, within whose limits
the case had occurred. These statements went to show
that the gentleman who first directed attention to the
subject was mistaken, and that therefore the occur-
rence had been greatly exaggerated. It appeared
that the ages of the children were ten and thirteen—
that they were convicted of stealing turnips, and were
sentenced and fined in the way mentioned. There
were statements in the report of the Com•
missioners with respect to the conduct of the
parents which he did not wish to read ; it appeared
however that they were gipsies, and that the father was
the owner of a pony, so that they acre not in the state
of helpless distress alluded to. He should feel happy to
place the report in the hands of the lion. Member ; and
on reading it he could not fail to be of opinion that the
statement was highly coloured, and consequently far
from corrtct.