The Prisoner Hol.

Evening Star, Issue 7660, 10 July 1888, Page 4

The Prisoner Hol.

The Government of New South Wules had under consideration at a recent meeting of the Cabinet the case of Edward Brown Holt, formerly manager of the Bank of New Zealand in Sydney, who was convicted on the 28th of May, 1886, of misappropriating the bank’s funds. The matter was brought under the attention of the Premier through a petition having been forwarded to His Excellency the Governor, signed by no less than fifty-three members of the Legislative Assembly, of whom seven arc ex-Cabinet Ministers, Amongst the names are those of Mr J. P. Abbott, Mr Dibbs, Mr Fletcher, Mr Slattery, Mr Melville, Mr O’Sullivan, Mr M'Elhone, Mr Wall, Mr Street, Mr Carruthers in fact, the signatures may be taken as fairly representative of men sitting in all parts of the House. The petition sets forth that Holt, when ordered to undergo this sentence, was first removed to Parramatta Gaol, and subsequently to Goulburn Gaol; but in consequence of shame of his offence, and through mental anxiety, his health mentally and bodily became so shattered that, to save his life, he had to bo removed to Darlinghurst Gaol, in the hospital of which he has since remained; that his health has completely broken down, and that he is a shadow of his former self; that the gaol authorities found that during part of the time of the imprisonment lie was a monomaniac, and his memory was a complete blank ; that at the time of the offence for which he was undergoing punishment he was suffering from great mental excitement and anxiety, caused by overwork and speculation ; that of the sentence of four years’ imprisonment passed upon him he had served one year and nine months, and had now one year and seven months to serve, allowing for the remission provided under the gaol regulations; that before his trial Holt made every reparation in his power by executing a deed of assignment for the benefit of all his creditors ; that the whole of the estate and effects have been handed over, and that the deed of assignment has been accepted and liquidated by the Bank of New Zealand ; that the petitioners 'believe that the assets in the estate will pay a

large dividend to the creditors, Including the Bank—if not 20a in the L—and Holt’s release will possibly help the realisation of the assets, The petition concludes with the prayer that In the Centennial year of the foundation of the colony His Excellency would be pleased to extend his most gracious mercy and clemency, and to remit the remainder of the sentence. The petition, as well as other papers relating to the case, which were submitted by the Minister for Justice to the Cabinet, was under the consideration of the Government. No determination was arrived at as to whether the Ministry would recommend His Excellency to remit the sentence, but it is understood that the fact of so many members of Parliament signing a document which was evidently intended to force the Ministry into granting Holt’s release, was freely commented upon.