§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is true that on Wednesday last the roughs of Oldham made an organised attack on a meeting of peaceable citizens by throwing burning materials into the building where they were assembled, and then savagely driving back those who attempted to escape from the danger; whether any of those taking part in these proceedings have been arrested; and, whether, in view of these constantly occurring and recurring savage scenes, he contemplates introducing any measure for the repression of outrages in England and in Scotland?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTI am happy to inform my hon. Friend—and I am sure he will be glad to hear—that the Report of the Chief Constable states that the newspaper report on which his Question is founded is entirely untrue. The service was continued without interruption. Mr. Cooper Clay, a leading member of the Salvation Army, was present during the whole of the service, and states that when he saw the newspaper report on Thursday morning he immediately wrote to The Manchester Courier, contradicting the statement. That, however, has not prevented its being re-printed in many other newspapers. The whole foundation for this story is that some mischievous person inserted some burning cotton with Cayenne pepper into the orifice of the ventilator leading into the room, which caused some of the people to sneeze; a proceeding, no doubt, much to be reprobated. I would say to my hon. Friend and others, there appears to be an increasing demand for sensational paragraphs. When there is a sensational paragraph, there is a sensational article founded on it—[Mr. WARTON: And a sensational Question!]—and the people give credit to it that it does not deserve, and form an exaggerated notion of the state of the country and of dangers that do not exist.