§ MR.J. C. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that on Friday last a young 1564 woman, named Annie Nightingale, applied at the Worship Street Police Court for the advice of the presiding magistrate, stating that she was engaged by a music hall agent of York Road, Waterloo Road, to fulfil an engagement as vocalist and comic singer at Amsterdam, another young woman named Stewart, being also engaged by the same person at the same place and time for the same purpose; and that, upon arrival at Amsterdam, these English girls, finding out that the place they were taken to to sing was a brothel, endeavoured at once to return to London; that they were then threatened by the proprietor, and their dresses and property detained, but money being sent to them they were enabled to return; and whether the Government will immediately investigate the matter, and, if possible, criminally prosecute the agent in London.
§ MR. ASQUITHI am in communication with the police, who are making thorough inquiry in this case, and until I am in possession of their Report, I must defer my answer to the hon. Member's question.
§ MR. MACDONAI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the luggage and dresses of three English girls, named Nightingale, Stewart, and Norton, are detained in a house of ill-fame in the Dam Rucke, Amsterdam, by the proprietor, who inveigled these English girls over to Amsterdam under the pretence of being engaged as music hall vocalists, and that, upon finding out the nature of the place they were taken to, these three English girls immediately desired to return home; the girls Nightingale and Stewart succeeded in escaping back to London, but their luggage was detained; the girl Norton, through having signed, under compulsion, an agreement, was detained, and is still there; and whether the Government can bring pressure to bear in such a quarter in Amsterdam as will restore, their property to these Englishwomen and facilitate Norton's return to England?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY,) Northumberland, BerwickWe have no information at the Foreign Office, but inquiry will be made at once.