§ MR. LALORasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If it is true, as stated in the public prints, that on the 16th instant, at New Seaham Colliery, Yorkshire, a gang of 200 men assembled and marched to the houses of some of the men who have continued at work. Several were fearfully beaten, their homes being also broken into, and the furniture broken. The men were intimidated and prevented from going to work. A strong force of policemen now guard the Colliery, and great excitement prevails. Another immense gathering of South Yorkshire colliers was held near Barnsley on the same day, when it was resolved not to commence work until the full advance had been generally conceded; and, in view of the length of time which these riotous proceedings have been allowed to continue in the North of England, is it the 1236 intention of Her Majesty's Ministers to apply to Parliament for any extraordinary powers to suppress those outrages?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT,in reply, said, the hon. Member had not given him sufficient Notice to enable him to ascertain the particular facts in this case. He was aware, however, of the general fact that a very deplorable series of disturbances had recently occurred in the colliery districts; and as to the last part of the Question, he could only reply, as he had done to several similar ones already, that there had been no difficulty found in applying the ordinary law to these cases.