§ MR. F. E. SMITH (Liverpool, Walton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will cause a Return to be printed containing all the anonymous letters received by the police in connection with the outrages attributed to Edalji, with the incidents connected therewith and the dates of receipt.
§ SIR BERKELEY SHEFFIELDAt the same time may I ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the information and documents which were before the Edalji Committee will be made available to Members of the House before the Home Office Vote is taken.
May I also ask the Secretary of State for the Homo Department whether he will order the fullest available newspaper report of the Edalji case to be printed as a Parliamentary Paper, together with any other report in the possession of the Home Office, in order that such reports be in the hands of Members before the discussion on the Home Office Vote.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI do not propose to lay on the Table any further Papers connected with this case.
§ VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH (Maidstone)I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that Edalji, who was the victim of an unsatisfactory conviction 161 and has lost all his professional prospects in consequence, is at present unable to procure employment, and is dependent upon his family and friends; and whether the Government will order a public inquiry directed to the specific issue whether or not he was the author of the anonymous letters.
§ MR. GLADSTONEMy right hon. friend has asked me to answer this Question. Every point in this case, including the question of the authorship of the letters, has been very fully considered, and the Government are not prepared to take any further steps in the matter.
§ VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGHWill the Government do nothing to relieve Edalji of the suspicion of being the author of those letters.?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI am afraid I can add nothing to my Answer.