§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a disturbance occasioned in Hyde Park on Sunday the 7th instant by the interference of foreigners, apparently Russians, with the proceedings of the Society of Friends of Russian Freedom; whether he has been made acquainted with the statement of a lady, an English member of that Society, to the effect that the police, instead of affording protection to her and her friends, treated her with rudeness and even violence; whether he has been informed that a 907 young person, the domestic servant of the lady in question, was so seriously injured, owing to a refusal of police protection, that she had to be removed in an ambulance; whether he has any reason to believe that the disturbers were emissaries of the Russian police or in any way under their direction; and whether he will take means to secure to British subjects and foreign exiles effective protection against molestation of this sort?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.I am informed that there was no disturbance on the occasion referred to by my hon. Friend. From the Report which I have received from the Commissioner of Police, it appears that the police constable on duty opposite the Marble Arch saw a number of printed bills tied to the park railings and two men and a lady selling papers to a large crowd. The sergeant informed them that they were infringing the rules of the park and requested them to move, and offered them police protection; but, on being informed by the lady that they had been in the same place by permission in former years, he did not interfere further until the arrival of the Inspector, when he drew his attention to the matter. The lady informed the Inspector that they had permission to be there, and declined to move the books and papers. On being asked from whom they had received permission, she stated that an Inspector had allowed them to stand there last year. The lady became excited, and, on finding a crowd was being attracted, the Inspector turned to the man and said that if the posters were removed he would take no further action; and, on this being done, he moved the crowd back, and, leaving a police constable and two sergeants to see that they were not molested, left them. The Inspector states that they were not attacked by the crowd in any way, and he noticed no foreigners around or near them, that there was no young girl present, and no ambulance was brought into requisition. There is no foundation whatever for the statement that the police were influenced or actuated in any way in their action by private persons.
§ MR. PICTONIs it not a fact that papers have been allowed to be sold on previous May Days? Did not the In- 908 spector push the lady back somewhat violently?
§ MR. ASQUITHI have given the facts as supplied to me. With regard to the sale of papers on previous occasions I will inquire.
§ MR. BYLES (York, W.R., Shipley)Has the right hon. Gentleman seen the lady's statement? Is it not in direct conflict with that of the police? Will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries as to the bona fides of this lady?
§ MR. ASQUITHI have seen the statement, and submitted it to the police for their report. I do not see any reason for doubting the accuracy of the police statement.