§ MR. JAMES ROWLANDS (Finsbury, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a meeting of representatives of the Metropolitan Police was allowed to be held at the Paddington Police Station, last week; whether another meeting which was to be held at Bow Street Police Station on the 23rd was prohibited; whether it has been customary 203 to allow the members of the Force to meat and discuss their grievances; and whether it is intended to allow the men to meet and discuss the question of their superannuation and their wages?
§ MR. C. GRAHAM (Lanark, N.W.)Was not the late Chief Commissioner, Mr. Monro, favourable to the men holding meetings, and have not the new orders come from the new Chief Commissioner?
§ MR. MATTHEWSA mooting of men from different divisions was held at Paddington, but it was held without authority from the Commissioner, who was, however, of opinion that there had been a misapprehension of the orders on the subject. A Petition was received by the Commissioner, on Monday, asking permission to hold a meeting that afternoon at Bow Street. It was received too late for a reply to be sent. No permission was given, and the meeting was not allowed. The Consolidated Orders do not allow meetings of the Force "without the permission of the Commissioner, and it has not been customary to allow them. Recently permission was conveyed through the superintendents of divisions for the men to meet in their own divisions, to discuss the Superannuation Bill, and that permission has not been withdrawn.