§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, that he begged to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department a Question of the greatest importance, of which he had not had the opportunity of giving him any notice, as to "Whether any communication has been received from the authorities of Wolverhampton in reference to certain Roman Catholic riots that have taken place there, and whether he has received any explanation from the stipendiary magistrate of the town on what grounds he had refused protection to a gentleman there—Dr. Armstrong—a gentleman of high position, who appealed to the Magistrates publicly for protection against the rioters, and was publicly refused it? In justification of this assertion he (Mr. Whalley) held in his hand a letter from the district, saying that in consequence this gentleman had received several threatening letters from persons who signed themselves Fenians, and he had written to him (Mr. Whalley) in a state of genuine alarm that these threats would be carried into effect. He attributed it to the fact of his having been publicly denied protection by the Stipendiary Magistrate.
§ MR. WALPOLESir, I have only to inform the hon. Member that I received no communication from the stipendiary magistrate with reference to the riots or to the particular matter involved in the 1032 Question of the hon. Member. If he had been good enough to give notice of those Questions before coming down to the House, I could have made inquiries at the office if any communications had been received up to the moment of my leaving.
§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, he had only received the information since he entered the House.