HC Deb 22 June 1893 vol 13 cc1644-6
BARON HENRY DE WORMS (Liverpool, East Toxteth)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to a Circular issued to the miners in St. Helen's district by Mr. Thomas Glover, J.P., miners' agent, in which he says that, having received power from the Lancashire Miners' Federation to force all non-union men into the Union, the power being granted two mouths ago, and all the men not having yet joined, the St. Helen's district has decided to give those men who are still out of the Union until the 24th day of June to join; and if all have not joined by that date notice will be given to all the collieries where non-union men are employed for the purpose of stopping against them; that all those who are in the Union and belong to any other district must bring their cards of membership, as there will be men appointed to look at the cards once a mouth, and if any member is found going bad he will be warned of the same, and have to pay up at once; whether he is advised that such threatening notices are legal; and, if not, whether he proposes to take any, and what, action in the matter; and whether he is aware that these threatening notices are signed by Mr. Glover with the initials J.P. after his name, he having been recently appointed a Borough Magistrate?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.

My attention has been called to the Circular. I am advised that there is nothing illegal in its terms, and I do not propose to take any action in the matter. The Circular in question is signed by Mr. Glover, but not with the initials J.P. after his name. It appears, however, that in a previous Circular Mr. Glover did append these letters to his name. I cannot suppose that any reader of the Circular would imagine that Mr. Glover was purporting to act in a magisterial capacity; but Mr. Glover informs me that he thinks—and I agree with him—that in affixing designation to such a document he made a mistake, which he assures me will not occur again.

BARON H. DE WORMS

Then am I to understand that the Circular was not illegal, and that the Magistrate was warranted in issuing it with the addition to his name of the letters "J.P."?

MR. ASQUITH

I am advised that there was nothing illegal in the Circular. As a fact, the Magistrate did not append to his name the letters "J.P."

BARON H. DE WORMS

But it is admitted that he did do so in the case of a previous letter which was exactly in the same terms?

MR. ASQUITH

It was not in the same terms.

BARON H. DE WORMS

I have seen the Circular.

MR. LEGH (Lancashire, S.W., Newton)

May I ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if Mr. Glover is one of the Magistrates recently appointed by him?

[The question was not answered.]