Caning from of the Times5

We have refrained from giving the name of the boy because no one would wish him to suffer in repute by reason of his mother’s not very wise proceeding. As the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE said in his very considerate judgment, there was no stain on the boy’s character because of this unfortunate discussion and there was no question of expulsion or any discredit of that kind being cast upon him. We have said that the original offence was not a very serious one in itself. Boys will be boys, and probably most of us when we were at school have done much the same thing many a time. But certainly those of us who were at school in the early or mid-Victorian period would have expected to be caned or birched for it, even without the prevarication and concealment, if we were found out, and would have taken our punishment all in the day’s work.

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