§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMS (Birmingham, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that in the afternoon of Wednesday, 22nd November, between 2.30 and 3 p.m., the police, acting under the orders of Inspector Veasey, broke up and dispersed an orderly meeting of the unemployed, which was being held upon Tower Hill; will he state what were the reasons 96 which caused the police to act in this manner; and whether he will instruct the police not to interfere with orderly meetings on Tower Hill in the future?
§ MR. ASQUITHThe meeting in question was not an orderly meeting. Three rival speakers attempted to address the crowd in competition with one another. The audience began to hoot; the would-be speakers struggled with one another and fell to the ground; and a free fight ensued. The police then interfered to prevent further disorder. The police never interfere with orderly meetings on Tower Hill, and the suggested instructions are unnecessary.
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMSIs it not a fact that one of the persons-described as speakers was a drunken man who was not in any way connected with the unemployed?
§ MR. ASQUITHI have had no reason to think that any of the speakers were connected with the unemployed.