§ MR. J. WARDI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been 183 called to the case tried before Mr. Denman on May 1st, and dismissed, wherein a lady, Madame D'Angely, was charged with behaving in a riotous and indecent manner in Regent Street on the evening of April 24th last, and to the fact that Police Constables Page, 429 C, and Lucas, 136 C, and Constable 440 C gave evidence on oath that the defendant had attended Regent Street persistently for three months previous for the purpose of committing the offence with which she was charged; and whether, seeing that these statements of the constables have been shown to be untrue and the charge unfounded, he will say what action, if any, he proposes to take in the matter.
The following Questions on the same subject also appeared on the Paper.
§ MR. H. H. MARKSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in view of the statement made by the magistrate at the Marlborough Street Police Court, in the case of Madame D'Angely, as to the dangers of Regent Street at night, he will cause special measures to be taken to deal with the evil of which the learned magistrate complained.
§ MR. ASHLEY (Lancashire, Blackpool)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that in the case of Mrs. Eva D'Angely, as in that of Messrs. Gerothwohl and Lavalette, the presiding magistrate at Marlborough Street, while acquitting the accused, did not in any way censure the police for the arrest; whether he has received any Report from the magistrate on the police evidence; and, if so, what action he proposes to take on it.
§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the proceedings against Madame Eva D'Angely at Marlborough Street Police Court, in which Constables Page, 429 C, Lucas, 136 C, and Constable 440 C, testified that the defendant, who was charged with behaving in a riotous and indecent manner in Regent Street on April 24th, had frequented the West End in this way for three months, and had actually accosted men on the night of her 184 arrest; and will he say what the decision of the Court was, and what steps the-authorities are taking to deal with these constables, who submitted this lady and her friends to suffering and indignity.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling Burghs)The Government are fully alive to the importance of this subject, which is referred to in several Questions to-day; and they find that there is a general desire, shared by the authorities of the police for a full inquiry. In our judgment that inquiry should be directed to the duties of the Metropolitan police in dealing with cases of drunkenness and solicitation in the streets and the manner in which these duties are discharged. For the conduct of such an inquiry we think a Select Committee an inconvenient instrument, and we purpose to appoint a Royal Commission and to bring in a short Bill in accordance with the precedent of last year to invest the Commission with the necessary powers for taking evidence on oath and compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents.
§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDYCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether Madame D'Angely will be given any recompense for the insult to which she has been subjected?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have said we propose to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the manner in which the police do this delicate duty, and into the circumstances which have been so much referred to, that constitute an incident which will be very much in the eyes of the Royal Commission.
§ LORD R, CECIL (Marylebone, E.)Will the House have any opportunity of considering the terms of the reference, because it will be desirable to include other small cases besides those of drunkenness and solicitation?
SIR H. CAMPBELL BANNERMANThis is not an inquiry into any individual case or into individual cases. It is a general inquiry into the manner in which the police discharge their duties and the nature of those duties, but it will, of course, include an inquiry into any cases 185 which the noble Lord may have in his mind.
§ LORD R. CECILI do not think the right hon. Gentleman quite understood me. There are besides these questions of drunkenness and solicitation, other small cases of assault, and I should like to ask how far this inquiry is to go.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI think I have said what is the precise nature of the inquiry to be held.
§ MR. H. BEAUMONT (Sussex, Eastbourne)I would like to ask whether those who are employed in Regent street and are far more interested in these matters than dilettante amateurs, have not repeatedly expressed their entire satisfaction with the way in which the police in Regent street discharge their duties.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe opinion of my hon. friend is of value, but the opinion of the Royal Commission will be of greater value.
§ MR. H. H. MARKSWill the consideration of the conduct of the police in the case of Madame D'Angely be deferred until the Report of the Royal Commission?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANIt will be a matter which will be considered with other subjects of a like kind.
§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the result of his inquiries with reference to the shadowing of Monsieur and Madame D'Angely.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI am now able to inform the hon. Member that the statements made to him, as to the correctness of which he asked me on Wednesday last, are almost entirely without foundation. It is not the case that Monsieur and Madame D'Angely have been constantly shadowed by the police; and it is not the case that there were six detectives outside their house on Friday, the 4th instant, four on Saturday, the 5th, and two 186 on Monday, the 7th, as their house has not been placed under observation by the police. Police officers understand that under no circumstances may annoyance be caused in any way to Monsieur and Madame D'Angely, and I have no reason to think this likely to occur.
§ MR. ASHLEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I can produce two independent witnesses ["Oh ! oh !"] to corroborate the statement?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI am aware of nothing of the kind. Perhaps the hon. Member will lay his information before the Royal Commission.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have been "shadowed" myself. I have made careful inquiries into the subject, and I have given the results of them.
§ LORD R. CECILWhat is the meaning of the right hon. Gentleman's phrase "almost entirely without foundation"?
§ MR. GLADSTONEOn one occasion there was shadowing. [Cries of "Why didn't you say so?"] But in answer to the specific allegations of the hon Member, I have told the House that they are not founded on fact.
§ MR. SLOANWill the right hon. Gentleman state the particular case of "shadowing" of which he has knowledge?
§ SIR H. VINCENTWill the right hon. Gentleman state who is this Madame D'Angely?
§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONWill the right hon. Gentleman give instructions that the practice shall now cease?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have told the House that these officers understand that in no circumstances may annoyance be caused in any way to Madame D'Angely, and I have no reason to think that it is likely to occur.
§ MR. H. H. MARKSBy whose instructions did the "shadowing" of Madame D'Angely take place on the occasion upon 187 which the right hon. Gentleman admits it occurred?
§ [No Answer was returned.]