§ MR. FENWICK (Northumberland, Wansbeck)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the language used by Judge Metcalfe in delivering Judgment in the case of "Kilby and Coleman v. Baker," in the Bristol County Court, on 7th July, and reported in the Western Daily Mail; and whether he will bring the matter under the notice of the Lord Chancellor?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI have seen a newspaper report of the case I have no control over County Court Judges. I would suggest that if the hon. Member wishes to make any representation on the subject he should address himself directly to the Lord Chancellor.
§ MR. FENWICKIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this man goes out of his way to denounce in a wholesale and indiscriminate manner the officials connected with Trades Unions, and that he declared in reference to certain actions for compensation, under the Employers' Liability Act of 1886, that if the Union Secretary appeared in them in future he would disallow the costs, and that he was strongly tempted to do so then, although the facts of the case were clear, and showed that the accident occurred in consequence of the negligence of the employer? Will the right hon. Gentleman call the attention of the Lord Chancellor to the conduct of this man, who repeatedly goes out of his way to denounce persons whose probity can in no way be called in question?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI am wholly unaware of the facts mentioned by the hon. Member.