§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he will consent to a Return of all cases within the last 12 months in which Special Reports have been made by the Metropolitan Police, under the Police Order of January, 1885, that they have been compelled to resort to the practice known as the "frog's march" in removing refractory prisoners; said Return to specify the name of the prisoner, date, place, and time of arrest, and removal?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I see no public object that will be served by this Return. If any prisoner is treated with undue severity when arrested he can always complain to the magistrate, and the complaint is investigated and dealt with at the time.
§ MR. CHANNINGsaid, he had received from the Home Office on Saturday particulars of one case to which he had drawn the attention of the right hon. Gentleman privately. Why was the Home Office able to supply privately information as to one case, and why was such a Return as that asked for, giving fewer particulars than were supplied to him on Saturday, not furnished to Members of that House?
§ MR. MATTHEWSreplied, that out of courtesy he gave the hon. Member particulars of the case referred to for his own private information; but he did not see that the Return asked for would serve any public use whatever.
§ MR. CHANNINGasked, whether the number of cases in the past year could be supplied?
§ MR. MATTHEWSsaid, he did not think he was able to give the hon. Member the numbers from memory; but there were extremely few cases. He would try to obtain the information asked for.