Fines For Gambling

MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON  (Durham, Barnard Castle)
I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the action of the North London stipendiary magistrate in fining a youth one penny for a contravention of the Gaining Act; and whether he intends taking any action in the matter.

*MR. GLADSTONE
Having made inquiry into his case I am informed that the offence charged was one under the Vagrant Act Amendment Act, 1873. The magistrate before whom the charge came, took the view that the defendant, who was a respectable young man, had been sufficiently punished by having been arrested and kept in custody for over two hours, and in view of all the circum-  stances of the case I see no reason for dissenting from this view.