MR. M. DAVTTT (Mayo, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made any further inquiry into the prosecution and 1217 imprisonment of members of the Social Democratic Federation in Oxford in connection with disturbances caused by opposition to meetings organised by such members; whether he is aware that these meetings have been attacked under the eyes of the police without any attempt on the part of the force to protect the meeting from violence; whether he has received communications from impartial eye-witnesses which corroborate this statement; whether he intends to take any steps to enable citizens in Oxford to exercise the rights of free speech and public meeting without molestation; and whether, in view of all the facts of the case, he can see his way to modify the sentences which the two prosecuted members of the Democratic Federation are now undergoing?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTI have made further inquiry with regard to the case which arose out of the meeting on the 24th April. I find it was alleged by the witnesses for the defence that an attack was made by the crowd on the speakers, chiefly by pushing, and that the police present took no steps to restrain them. I have had no private corroboration of this, however, and the chief constable deposed that on the meeting being broken up the police assisted the speakers and gave them shelter in the police station. The point is not quite clear, however, and I have asked the Mayor for some further explanation.