§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the Inspector of Constabulary has again reported that the Devonport Watch Committee continue the practice of making a preliminary investigation into all police charges against licensed houses before such cases are brought before the magistrates, with the result that half of these charges have been suppressed during the last year; and, if he sees his way to any method of checking the irregularity reported by the inspector?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, it was quite true that the Inspector had made the Report to which the hon. Baronet alluded. As he had before stated, he entirely disapproved the practice, and he would say so again. The results, however, were not quite the same as the hon. Baronet stated. The Town Clerk wrote that during the year 19 cases were reported, that 16 were summoned, and that only three were dismissed by the Watch Committee. But he (Mr. Assheton Cross) could not help observing that if this practice had not been followed at Devonport, more cases would probably have been brought forward by the police.