§ MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN (Kent, Faversham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a meeting, stated to have been held at Tower Hill, of the unemployed, when a speech was made by a Mr. Jewnes, described as organiser of the Unemployed Committee, and subsequently endorsed by a man described as a Socialist organiser, in which he said—
As Government would do nothing for the unemployed, they must now take matters into their own hands. It was time to act, and wreck shops, if necessary, in order to obtain food. A secret society was being formed, and he warned the authorities that, unless the demands of the unemployed were satisfied before Christmas, there would be a reign of terror in London unprecedented in the annals of history, and deeds would be perpetrated which would have more effect, and cause a greater sacrifice of life, than those which had occurred in the French Chamber of Deputies and at Barcelona,and if on inquiry he finds that these or 247 similar words were uttered, what steps does he intend to take?At the same time, perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will say whether his attention has been called to a speech alleged to have been delivered on Saturday, the 16th instant, by a man named Williams to a meeting of the so-called unemployed on Tower Hill, in which, after repeating and endorsing word for word a speech of the man Jewnes, alleged to have been delivered on the previous Wednesday threatening a reign of terror in London, he is reported to have said that—
As the Government would do nothing for them, and the Vestries were powerless, he distinctly advised the unemployed to wreck the shops, to wreck the Government, to wreck whatever they liked, and do whatever they liked to prevent themselves from dying like rats in a hole. The deed which had been perpetrated in the French Chamber of Deputies he endorsed, because he believed that if acts of a similar kind occurred here the demands of the unemployed would soon be satisfied.and, if these or similar words were used, what steps does he intend to take?
§ THE SECRETARY OR STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.I have made careful inquiry into both these cases, and I find that the report cited by the hon. Member is in each instance a condensed and not very trustworthy version of what the speaker actually said. On both occasions violent and foolish language appears to have been used, but the speakers were careful to so qualify their words that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to convict them of inciting to crime. It is, of course, very undesirable for the Government to undertake a prosecution in cases of this kind if there is any serious risk of failure of proof, and unless there is a reasonable certainty of obtaining a conviction. But I should add that both these men are well-known to the police, and that their proceedings have been for a long time past, and will continue to be, carefully watched. The House may be assured that if language inciting to crime is used, under circumstances in which in the judgment of the police it is calculated to produce the least mischief, the Government will not be slow to put the law in action against the offenders.
§ MR. ASQUITHYes, Sir; I have a report.