§ MR. BRADLAUGHI beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is now aware that the police have, in certain towns in the Home Counties, made inquiries as to intended meetings of Post Office employés; whether the result of such police inquire's have been communicated to him; and if he will state through whom any correspondence or communication from the Post Office as to such inquiries has been made?
§ * MR. RAIKESNO, Sir, I am not. No such inquiries have been made with my knowledge, and I should certainly be aware of them if they had been made from the Post Office.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that instructions have in any and what case been forwarded from Scotland Yard to local police to inquire and report as to meetings of Post Office employés likely to be held in the Home Counties; whether these instructions have been sent to the local police at the request of the Postmaster General, or at whose request; and whether he will state the precise nature of the instructions to the police sent from Scotland Yard, and to what towns such instructions have been sent?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that no such instructions have in any case been sent to the local police from Scotland Yard.
§ * MR. BRADLAUGHIn consequence of the reply of the right hon. Gentleman I beg to give notice that on the Estimates I will give details of cases in which the police have acted as I have stated, either with or without instructions.
§ * MR. H. J. WILSON (York, W. R., Holmfirth)Have there been any inquiries by the police? May there have been communications which would not be called instructions?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI am not aware that there have been any. The information I have received is an absoluta negative of the question of the hon. Member for Northampton (Mr. Brad-laugh). If a different question is put on the Paper I will answer it.
§ * MR. BRADLAUGHWould the words "no instructions" used by the Commissioner of Police include telegraphic directions from Scotland Yard to the local police?
§ MR. MATTHEWSUndoubtedly, Sir. If any such telegraphic communications have been sent I ought to have been informed of it, and I should not have given a negative as an answer.