MR. PECTON (Leicester)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether an intended open air meeting in Sancroft Street was prevented on Sunday, 8th May, by a body of police, who occupied the ground before the conductors of the meeting arrived; whether this was done by the orders of the Chief Commissioner of Police; whether the prohibition of the meeting has the approval of the Secretary of State; whether the conductors of the meeting proceeded from Sancroft Street to the Thames Embankment, and carried out their programme without any disturbance of the peace; and, whether the prohibition of the meeting was due to any exceptional reasons, which can be stated to the House, or is it intended to be repeated in the case of all 1457 open-air meetings called by Socialists and their supporters?
MR. JAMES STUAET (Shoreditch, Hoxton)also asked, Whether the police prevented the holding of a public meeting at Sancroft Street, Kennington Road, London, on Sunday last; and, what wore the instructions under which they acted in dealing with this proposed meeting?
§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)also asked, Whether the Home Secretary is aware that for a long time past meetings have been held in Sancroft Street, Kennington Road; whether, on Sunday last, the police prevented a meeting being held there; and, if so, upon what grounds and by what authority; and, whether two persons, named respectively Chapman and Kemp, were arrested by the police; and, if so, by what authority and for what offence in each case?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. STUART-WORTLEY) (Sheffield, Hallam)(who replied) said: I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that, as is usual in cases of an anticipated breach of the peace, the police were on the ground at the time and place in question in double patrols, but that no attempt was made to hold a meeting. It appears that a certain number of persons did go from Sancroft Street to the Embankment; but that they did not hold any meeting. I am informed that meeting's have been held in Sancroft Street on Sundays for about six months past. Chapman and Kemp were arrested on a warrant issued on the 4th of May by a magistrate sitting at Lambeth Police Court, charging them, I believe, with unlawful assembly. I have before informed the House that the police have no special instructions to prevent Socialist meetings as such; and I am assured that no such instructions, nor any special instructions at all, were given in the case of last Sunday's meeting. The Secretary of State gave no orders at all concerning it.
§ MR. PICTONasked, whether the hon. and learned Member would inform the House what reason the Commissioner of Police had to anticipate any breach of the peace; and, whether any breach of the peace had occurred at previous meetings on the same spot?
§ MR. STUART-WORTLEYI can only suppose that the Commissioner of 1458 Police anticipated a breach of the peace for good reasons.