HC Deb 28 April 1882 vol 268 cc1673-4
MR. O'DONNELL

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, What steps he has taken, if any, with reference to the conduct of the magistrates and police during the rioting at Camborne?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT,

in reply, said, he must say, what he had often said in the House, that he was not responsible for, nor had he any authority over, the magistrates or the police. When magistrates asked his advice he gave it as well as he could. By the Constitution of this country, those who were in the Commission of the Peace had control over the police, and they were not under the orders or direction of the Executive Government. He thought that ought to be clearly understood, because he saw Questions founded on the notion that the magistrates and the police throughout the country were subordinate to, and under the direction of, the Secretary of State. That was not so. The Secretary of State was ever willing, when an occasion arose, to give them such advice as he could; but they acted upon their own responsibility, and upon their own responsibility only.

MR. O'DONNELL

said, advice did not seem to have been given. ["Oh!"] He would conclude with a Motion—

MR. SPEAKER

said, the hon. Member for Dungarvan must be aware that he could not enter upon a debate on this matter.

MR. O'DONNELL

then gave Notice that he would ask a further Question on the subject on Monday, and especially he would ask the Home Secretary, whether it had not been brought to his notice that the Irish population in Camborne were left entirely without the protection of the law through the misconduct of the magistrates and the police of that district?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

said, he thought he could answer that at once. He did not believe, from such information as he had, that that was the case. There had been disgraceful riots, which there was considerable difficulty in quelling; but the information he had was that the magistrates and police had made every effort to put down these riots; that at present they had succeeded, and that the population of all nationalities was now protected.

MR. O'DONNELL

said, the right hon. and learned Gentleman had not sufficiently answered the Question, and he would repeat it on Monday.