HC Deb 13 July 1885 vol 299 cc425-7
MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCK

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to an article which was printed and published in the newspaper called The Pall Mall Gazette on the 10th instant, and which charges certain members of the Metropolitan Police Force with bribery, corruption, and other acts of grave misconduct; and, whether there is any foundation for these charges?

MR. HIBBERT

also asked, whether, seeing that the charges in question reflected generally on the conduct of the Police, the right hon. Gentleman would, in the interests of the Force, at once institute a searching inquiry as to the truth or otherwise of those accusations?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir E. ASSHETON CROSS)

With reference to this Question, I observe that the charges are general and that no names are given. All I can say is, that if any facts are stated and names given, I shall feel it my duty to try to get to the bot- tom of the charges, and a most full inquiry will be made, because, in the interests of the police themselves as well as of the public, it is important that, if such charges are unfounded, they should be declared to be so.

MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCK

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he is aware that the authorities of the City of London have instituted proceedings against certain persons for offering for sale obscene publications and for displaying obscene placards in the public streets; and, whether these publications were numbers of the newspaper called The Pall Mall Gazette, and, why similar steps have not been taken with regard to the vendors of the same publications and against the exhibitors of the same placards within the Metropolitan Police area?

MR. R. N. FOWLER (LORD MAYOR)

asked whether it was intended to take any steps against the editor of The Pall Mall Gazette with reference to the articles that had appeared in that paper and had excited a great deal of public attention?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE TOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT

With reference to the first Question, I have to say that I am aware that some proceedings have been taken in the City of London against the newsvendors who were offering The Pall Mall Gazette for sale. In my opinion, if proceedings are to be taken at all, it is not desirable to take such proceedings against the persons who sell the papers. With reference to the Question of my right hon. Friend the Lord Mayor, I must ask him to give me Notice of it.

MR. JAMES STUART

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, considering the allegations made against the Metropolitan Police of collusion between them and Mrs. Jeffreys, who was lately convicted of keeping a disorderly house in Chelsea, he intends to take any notice of the conduct of the police in this matter; whether he intends to take any step to restore his pension to late Inspector Minahan, who was the means of bringing this scandal to light; and, whether the police, who charged a man named Baring (a witness in the late Jeffreys' case), and who assaulted another man named Stoneham, who complained at the station of the violence used by the police in taking Baring into custody, have been reprimanded?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT

With regard to the first and second paragraphs of this Question, they refer to matters dealt with by my Predecessor in Office, and no new facts have been brought before us, therefore I have taken no proceedings. With regard to the last paragraph of the Question, I have to call the hon. Member's attention to the fact that the magistrates came properly to a conclusion, and held that there was no evidence to support the slightest foundation for such a charge, and they considered the police were justified in their original arrest, and that there had been no undue violence.