§ MR. JOHN ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, on Wednesday, 12th June, District Inspector Ewart visited the Imperial Hotel, Youghal, and ordered the constables with him to force open the door of the bedroom occupied by Mr. Macaulay of the Bradford Observer, the door being by them forced open accordingly; whether District Inspector Ewart refused to allow Mr. Macaulay to read the document or warrant in virtue of which he claimed to make this forcible entry; what was the object for which it was made; and, have these proceedings the sanction of the Government?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Constabulary Authorities report that the local police had reason to believe that a man for whose arrest they had a warrant, was concealed in the hotel. On production of the warrant, the proprietor of the hotel gave the police every facility in making the search; but Mr. Macaulay refused to allow the door of his room to be unlocked, and it therefore became necessary to forcibly open it. District Inspector Ewart did not refuse to allow Mr. Macaulay to read the warrant. Mr. Macaulay was not present when the door was forcibly opened. He subsequently came up, but did not ask for the production of the warrant. The District Inspector was not acting under any special sanction of the Government, but necessarily broke in the door for the purpose of arresting an offender whom he believed to be concealed there.
§ MR. J. ELLISWas the statement which the right hon. Gentleman has read supplied by District Inspector Ewart himself?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt came from the Constabulary Office; but I should 697 imagine that it was supplied by District Inspector Ewart.