OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 29 June 1860)

§ MR. KEKEWICH

said, he rose to call the attention of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the disturbances which took place on Sunday last in the neighbourhood of the church of St. George's-in-the-East. He had collected a few facts from the public journals relative to what had occurred, but he did not rely on that source of information alone as he had also been in communication with persons who were present on the occasion. He found it stated that great disturbance occurred during the service, but the sermon was not interrupted, but afterwards, The mob collected in the yard round the entrance to the rectory, and as the clergy and choristers passed in they were hooted and hustled. Two or three of the choristers attempted to make their way home, and for that purpose went out into Cannon Street, where their appearance was the signal for a terrific uproar. They were followed by several hundreds of people, who hissed and yelled, and threw at them dirt, stones, and anything else they could obtain. Once or twice the choristers, who wore round collars similar to those adopted by Roman Catholic priests, and long coats, made a run for it, but the mob ran too, and increased in numbers at every step. He (Mr. Kekewich) must correct one statement in that Report, for he was assured by the parties themselves that they wore nothing in any way resembling the dress of Roman Catholic priests. The Report went on to say:— On arriving in the Commercial Road an attempt was made to beat the choristers, and a desperate rush was made upon them, but three or four policemen who arrived at the time kept the mob back as well as they could, and the choristers darted down a narrow street. The mob followed and drove them back into the Commercial Road. At this time they seemed undecided as to the course they should pursue, and one of them tried to go back so that he might take refuge in the clergy house in Cannon Street, but the mob refused to let him do so, and drove him and his friends in an opposite direction along the Commercial Road, on reaching the top of which they made another attempt to escape by running down a street at the rear of Whitechapel Church, into the Whitechapel Road. The mob, which at this time consisted of at least 1,000 persons, followed them with loud execrations, and, matters threatening to become serious, two of them took refuge in a coffee-house. Peremptory orders were shouted by the mob that 'the Puseyites should be turned out,' and turned out they were, to be knocked about by their ruffianly assailants. 1213 When the subject was last before the House the Secretary of State, referring to what had occurred within the church, said he did not know whether what had happened could be called an outrage. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would admit the proceedings of last Sunday were outrageous, and take steps to prevent their recurrence. He (Mr. Kekewich) did not appear for the rector of St. George's, whom he did not know. He believed that rev. Gentleman to be an amiable man, attentive to his pastoral duties, but it was to be regretted that he had not met the irritation that had sprung up in due time, and by conciliatory measures endeavoured to prevent these troubles. He could assure the rev. Gentleman that the people of this country would not brook any departure from the pure and holy system of worship to which they were accustomed, or sanction any forms or innovations which they considered to belong to a religion which was not their own. Having called the attention of the right hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary to the circumstances he would only ask him further what steps he had taken to prevent a recurrence of such disorders.

SIR GEORGE LEWIS

I did not collect that the hon. Gentleman had received any information from those persons, as all he has stated has been extracted from the newspaper report. In one material particular—that relative to the dress of the choristers—he has corrected the account, and, from information I have received, I am led to believe that in other parts it is overcharged. I have here the report of the superintendent of police who was in the church on Sunday last, which I will read to the House:— I beg to report that this day's 11 o'clock morning service at the parish church of St. George's-in-the-East was attended by about 160 persons, twenty-five of whom left the church at the commencement of the sermon. The Rev. T. Dove officiated throughout, and, with the exception of a little feigned coughing during the prayer for the clergy, no irregularity occurred. The lecturer's afternoon service was attended by about 300 per- 1214 sons, who conducted themselves in an orderly and attentive manner. About 200 persons awaited the opening of the churchyard gates prior to the 7 o'clock evening service, which was attended by about 1,000 persons. The choristers (eighteen), as in the morning, wore their white surplices, and sat in the organ gallery, and the clergymen, when not officiating, sat within the communion rails. The Rev. T. Dove read or intoned the prayers, a strange clergyman read the lessons, and the sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Ward. There was the usual amount of noise from feigned coughing, hissing, and some laughter during the first of the service, although but little interruption was attempted during the sermon. On Mr. Dove ascending the steps of the altar after receiving the offertory, he turned his face towards the east; this caused much hissing and noise, which continued during the benediction. The people next attempted the doxology, which for a time was prevented by the organ, but finally sung; afterwards they all gradually left the church and streets. That is the report of the police superintendent who was present on the occasion, and the House will observe that the disturbances were confined to unseemly and irreverent noises interposed during the service, and that there was nothing which amounted to a breach of the peace, or the use of any force. I have two other police reports bearing more directly on the statement of the hon. Gentleman. One is the report of the inspector and superintendent, dated June 29:— I beg to report respecting the attached extract from The Times of the 26th instant, that on Sunday evening, the 24th instant, about half-past 8 p.m., two gentlemen (supposed choristers) were shouted at by a few boys, who, it is supposed, followed them from St. George's-in-the-East Church to the Commercial-road. The police were on the spot immediately, having been posted at short intervals to prevent persons leaving the church being molested. The crowd increased to about 250 or 300 persons, and when at Church-lane, Whitechapel, the gentlemen who were being followed then ran down Spectacle-alley into High-street, Whitechapel, and the police prevented the crowd from following; but some of them, taking another turning, again met the same two persons in Whitechapel. The police then escorted them to George-yard, up which they went, and the crowd was prevented following any further. No mud or any other missile was seen thrown by the police, nor was there any person assaulted, and no complaint was made by any person to the police of any one being ill-treated. Here is another report by the inspector and superintendent:— I beg to report with reference to the annexed paragraph from The Times newspaper of the 26th instant, that none of the clergy or choristers were hooted or hustled in the churchyard near the entrance to the rectory-house on Sunday evening last, nor was there a terrific uproar in Cannon-street-road, nor were three of the choristers hissed, yelled, dirt or stones thrown at them, nor was 1215 there any disorder near the church to justify the interference of the police in arresting any person. I do not find, therefore, that there is any reason for supposing that any peculiar violence or impropriety occurred last Sunday. The House may, perhaps, wish to know what is the police force now regularly stationed at that church and its neighbourhood every Sunday to preserve the peace. There are ten police-constables in. the church, with two sergeants and an inspector. In the churchyard there are two constables; between the churchyard and Wellclose-square there are five; a sergeant and twelve constables are kept patrolling near the church; there is a reserve of one inspector, two sergeants, and twenty constables; and in Denmark-street an inspector, a sergeant, and fifteen constables are stationed, making altogether seventy-three men constantly employed there every Sunday for the special purpose of preventing any breach of the peace. The Commissioner of police informs me that, with the exception of occasions when there are great open-air assemblages, he has not for many years brought together so large a body of police for any purpose as now regularly attend the services at St. George's-in-the-East. Perhaps I may also state, for the information of the House, the instructions under which the police act. I will not go into the details, but hero is one sentence:— The police are, if possible, to prevent the commission of any assault or other breach of the peace, and apprehend the parties offending. They are likewise to enforce the provisions of the 1st of Mary, cap. 3, an extract from which accompanies this order. After this explanation I hope the House will be of opinion that there has been no remissness on the part of the Government in giving due protection to those who perform Divine service in this church. It is very lamentable that these irreverent interruptions of public worship should so often occur; but, as I have already stated, I think they do not amount to breaches of the peace. They are interruptions in the nature of noisy exclamations, the responses being made at improper times, and other means adopted by which persons, without showing that they interrupt the service, nevertheless contrive to attain their end. They do not appear to bring themselves within the grasp of the law. At all events, the acts they commit are not such as are cognizable by the police. Subject to that exception, every means has been used by 1216 the Government and the Commissioners of Police for preventing the recurrence of these very lamentable and unseemly disturbances.