§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can explain upon what ground and by what authority the chief constable of Birmingham issued a notice recently prohibiting the holding of a meeting of the National Democratic League in the Bull Ring in that city.
§ MR. RITCHIEI am informed that the chief constable objected to the use of certain language which he considered illegal and amounting to an offence, but that an interview subsequently took place between the promoters of the meeting and the chief constable, at which an undertaking was given that such language should not be repeated, and meetings have subsequently been held without interference by the police. No meeting was actually stopped.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGECan the right hon. Gentleman tell us who this language was used by and what it was?
§ *MR. RITCHIEIt was used by one of the speakers at one of these meetings. It was language of a very gross character, which, in the opinion of the chief constable, and in mine, was likely to lead to a breach of the peace
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEWas this speaker prosecuted, and was the language used by him a breach of the law?
§ *MR. RITCHIENo, Sir, he was not prosecuted.
§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)Did the chief constable act on his own initiative or did he refer to the right hon. Gentleman?
§ *MR. RITCHIEHe acted entirely on his own initiative.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDAre we to understand that a person in the position of the chief constable is to be the judge whether the language used—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDdid not resume his seat.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI again call the hon. Member to order, and have to say that, if he persists in disregarding me when I call him to order, I shall have to direct the attention of the House to his conduct.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDMr. Speaker, I rise to a point of order.
§ *MR. SPEAKER (calling the next question)Mr. Gibson Bowles.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI rise to a point of order.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member, I: repeat, is not in order in asking the question.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI claim, Mr. Speaker, as a matter of personal explanation—
§ *MR. SPEAKERA personal explanation is not a point of order.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDA personal explanation, Sir. I trust you will allow me to say that I did not hear you call me to order at all, and I had not the slightest intention of disregarding your ruling. I thought I was putting a 1406 question which legitimately arose out of the answer as to whether the chief constable—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That is the question which I ruled was not legitimate. I quite accept the hon. Member's statement.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI shall raise the subject on the Home Office Vote.