§ On the question that the House should adjourn,
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid that since he had asked the Home Secretary a question that afternoon as to whether he had taken any steps to secure that MR. Whitaker Wright should not evade justice by leaving the country he understood that he had absconded. He wished to know whether that was the fact, also whether the Home Office knew where Mr. Whitaker Wright was. The attention of the public was directed to this matter as they were determined to see that there was not one law for the rich and another for the poor. The Executive must bring this man to justice, or see that he did not escape justice.
§ *MR. AKERS-DOUGLASsaid that if the hon. Gentleman was so anxious about the question he might have given him notice of it in writing or sent him some word of the fact. As soon as the question was asked he had applied to Scotlandyard, and had found that no application had been made there for a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Whitaker Wright. He had since heard from the City Police 516 that a warrant had been granted at the Guildhall that morning, and was now in the hands of the City Police for execution. It was the intention of the Government that Mr. Whitaker Wright should be brought to justice, and if he were not in this country every effort of the Government would be directed to the end of bringing him back.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDsaid that if Mr. Whitaker Wright had been allowed to escape the matter would require some explanation, as it had been known for some time that he was liable to be proceeded against. There had been cases in Ireland of men admittedly guilty of the gravest possible offences being allowed to escape from the country, and it would be interesting to learn whether the same practice was to obtain in England.