HC Deb 05 March 1889 vol 333 cc961-2
SIR CHARLES RUSSELL (Hackney, S.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is true that Mr. H. W. Lees informed Mr. Munro twice by letter of the intention to hold a meeting on Sunday near Cleopatra's Needle on the Embankment, and that Mr. Munro gave no reply, and did not intimate to Mr. Lees his intention to prevent such meeting; whether such meeting was in fact forcibly prevented; and, if so, on what ground and upon whose authority; whether it is true that Mr. Hyndman arranged with a Police Superintendent that the meeting should instead be held near the Achilles Statue in Hyde Park; and, whether such meeting was forcibly suppressed and several assaults committed by the police; and, if so, what is the justification (if any) of such proceedings?

MR. CUNINGHAME GRAHAM (Lanark, N. W.)

I wish also to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now any information to give the House as to the dispersal of the meeting on the Embankment on Sunday?

MR. MATTHEWS

I will answer both Questions at the same time. The answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The letters conveyed a notice that certain persons intended to hold a meeting in a public thoroughfare. The Commissioner did not consider it his duty to enter into any correspondence on the subject. The meeting was not forcibly prevented, as the persons assembled did not persist in holding the meeting after they were warned, but proceeded to Hyde Park. The Commissioner is not aware that any arrangement was entered into between Mr. Hyndman and any police superintendent as to meeting near the Achilles statue. A meeting was held at the statue and was not suppressed by the police. The meeting after a time showed a tendency to become disorderly, some stones were thrown at the police, and there was a danger of the crowd getting on to and injuring the statue, the chain round which was broken. Mr. Burns advised the crowd to meet at the Reformers' Tree and the advice was followed. The Commissioner denies that assaults were committed by the police, who acted throughout with forbearance.

SIR C. RUSSELL

I wish to ask whether the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been called to the fact that in some of the public papers the numbers of the constables who committed the assaults have been given; and whether he has caused inquiry to be made into those facts?

MR. MATTHEWS

Yes, Sir; I have caused inquiries to be made, and I have given the hon. Gentleman the answer.

MR. CUNINGHAME GRAHAM

Are the public to understand that they are not to be permitted to meet at Cleopatra's Needle, and whether this neighbourhood is to be looked upon as a prohibited area like Trafalgar Square?

MR. MATTHEWS

The public must understand that meetings in a public thoroughfare which cause an obstruction in that thoroughfare will not be permitted.

MR. GRAHAM

Then I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware of the object of this particular meeting; that it had no political bias whatever, but was called simply to consider the condition of the starving poor in London?

MR. MATTHEWS

The object of the meeting can have no bearing whatever on the question, which is, whether the meeting obstructs the thoroughfare or not.