§ MR. CAINEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been directed to a report of the watch committee of the Walsall Town Council of last month forbidding the chief constable, on his own initiative, to take out summonses without first consulting the town clerk; and whether, seeing that such an arrangement is unusual, he will take steps to prevent the chief constable in this case being hampered in his endeavour to enforce the licensing laws in the borough.
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonMy attention has not been called to this particular borough, but I am aware that similar directions have been issued by watch committees in some other boroughs. I cannot say that such a direction is not within the powers of the watch committee, but evidently it is a matter which requires the exercise of the utmost discretion.