§ MR. FISHER (Fulham)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he can furnish any information as to the number of extra police employed at the meeting of the Social Democratic League in Trafalgar Square on the 29th of August, 1886, and of the demonstration at St. Paul's on the 27th of February, and on similar meetings and demonstrations; what was the amount of extra pay granted to the police who were then employed; what was the number of extra hours which such police had to serve; what was the approximate cost to the ratepayers of 1070 London, and to the taxpayers of the United Kingdom, of the preparations on the part of the Government to meet any disturbance of law and order on those occasions; and, whether the Government will consider the desirability of taking any steps to prohibit such meetings in the future?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)The number of police employed at the meeting of the Social Democratic League on the 29th of August, 1886, was 2,373; at the demonstration at St. Paul's Cathedral on the 27th of February, 1887, 3,094; the City Police especially employed on the latter occasion were 746. The amount of extra pay granted to the Metropolitan Police on these two occasions was in all about £20, the amount of travelling expenses about £120. The approximate cost of the special employment of Metropolitan Police on these occasions was, therefore, about £140. The question of regulating such meetings in the future is now under my consideration.