[To rim EDITOR Or SRI "SPECTATOR."]
Sin,—The letter of the Vice-Chairman of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in your paper of December 21st is so important and so likely to mislead persons not accustomed to study Acts of Parliament that I venture to point out that he has put upon Section 12 of the Children's Act a construction which, in my opinion, is clearly wrong. He has not realized the importance of the word " wilfully " which governs and qualifies "assaults, ill-treats, neglects," &c. Section 12 is a punitive section ; and no one can be properly convicted under it who has not been guilty of wilful neglect in the sense which is explained in the section itself. I do not know what the facts proved in Alice Carter's case were, and I do not therefore express any opinion about it,. But unless there was something more culpable than omitting to follow the advice of the Society I agree entirely with the views of Lord Hugh Cecil and of the Spectator in the number of December 14th.—I am, Sir, &c., LINDLEY.
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