HC Deb 14 December 1893 vol 19 cc1369-70
MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN (Kent, Faversham)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any men who may be expelled from France owing to their anarchist opinions will be allowed to come to England; and, if this cannot be prevented owing to the existing law, will Her Majesty's Government bring in a Bill to save this country from becoming the refuge of the avowed advocates of assassination? I should like further to ask whether his attention has been drawn to a report of a speech made at a meeting yesterday, when the following language was used by a man described as an organiser of the unemployed— As the Government will do nothing for the unemployed they must now take the matter into their own hands; wreck shops if necessary to obtain food. A secret society is being formed, and he warned the authorities that, unless their demands were satisfied before Christmas, there would be a reign of terror in London unprecedented in the annals of history. Deeds would be done involving greater sacrifice of life than had occurred in the French Chamber of Deputies and at Barcelona? I beg to ask the Home Secretary whether he will cause the immediate arrest of the scoundrel who made that speech?

MR. ASQUITH

That is obviously a question of which I must have notice.

MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN

I shall put it down for to-morrow.

MR. ASQUITH

So far as I am aware, the existing law does not provide any machinery for this purpose. In the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, a state of things has not arisen which calls upon them to submit to Parliament any alteration in the law.