§ MR. LEWISasked Mr. Attorney General, Whether his attention has been called to a recent announcement in the newspapers that Mr. George Russell, M.P. the Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board, and Liberal candidate for one of the Metropolitan boroughs, was present and spoke at a free breakfast, given on March 24th in Bermondsey by Baron Ferdinand do Rothschild, the Liberal candidate for St. George's-in-the-East, to labourers from the docks situated in that borough, and to a subsequent announcement that Mr. George Russell, M.P. is now about to give a free breakfast in St. George's-in-the-East itself also to labourers from the docks; and, whether it is an infraction of the Corrupt Practices Act for a gentleman to first identify himself with a candidate at a free entertainment in the way Mr. Russell did with Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, and afterwards to give a similar free entertainment to 308 the same class of people in the borough for which his friend is a candidate?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)I have no personal knowledge of the matters connected with these breakfasts, and therefore I have had to seek information from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board. I trust that the House, considering the nature of the question, will bear with me while I read a letter which I have received from my hon. Friend on the subject—
18, Wilton Street, S. W., April 18, 1885.—My dear Attorney General,—I am sorry that you should be troubled with inquiries about my personal actions. But as Mr. Lewis has thought right to question you about them, it seems desirable that I should put you in possession of the facts. These dock breakfasts originated with the 'Bitter Cry,' published in i883. I was invited by Mr. Arnold White to attend one of them in February last. Mr. White is most zealously endeavouring to deal with the great problem of finding employment for the unemployed. His plan is to attend at the docks at an early hour of the morning, when the gates are shut upon the hundreds whose services are not required. When he has means at his disposal, Mr. White invites these men, without any previous notice, to come to a breakfast. They are then addressed, solely in relation to their own position. Each man is asked to give his name and state his case; and after full inquiry endeavours are made to afford them the means of emigration, or to find them employment at home. By means of these breakfasts, which have been given by different donors, upwards of 300 men have since January last been helped to emigrate or provided with work at home. From first to last the movement is entirely unconnected with politics, and at the breakfasts no reference is made to any political subject. From the proceedings at the breakfast on the 24th of March, I understood that these exertions of Mr. White met with the approval of men of all parties. Sir Stafford Northcote, whose original letter I enclose, wrote most kindly and heartily, regretting that he could not be present at the breakfast; but entirely approving the movement and wishing it all success. The right hon. Baronet in his letter says—'I had hoped to be able to attend and say a few words at your breakfast, but I have so much work to get through this morning I find it is impossible to do so.' Among many others, Sir Baldwyn Leighton and Mr. J. W. Lowther were present on this occasion, and many, whose names I need not mention—some were ladies—promised to contribute to the expense of a breakfast, and I gave in my name with others. I had no communication with Baron F. de Rothschild, and acted without his knowledge; I had no voice in the selection of the place; and I had not the slightest notion that any political benefits could accrue to myself or to anyone else from this act of mine. I may mention that I should suppose that not one of the men who have received these break- 309 fasts is an elector. I fear they would be able to give no better residential qualification than the casual ward in winter, or an arch of London Bridge in summer. I have only to add that my motive has been simply to help some of the poorest of the industrious poor to help themselves. But I should be sorry, even with this object in view, to run the slightest risk of appearing to use treating as a political weapon. Therefore, if you will let me, I will place myself in your hands, and, if you think that, even by misconstruction, this breakfast can by anyone be regarded as illegal, however sorry I may be to send the hungry away empty on Tuesday morning, I will intimate to Mr. White that my contribution must be withdrawn. Forgive me for troubling you, and believe me, sincerely yours, G. W. E. RUSSELL.Upon that statement every Member of the House is as capable as I am of forming a judgment of the course which my hon. Friend has taken. But as my hon. Friend thought it necessary to throw some responsibility upon me, I, forming the best judgment I could, wrote my hon. Friend a simple reply that he could give the breakfast.