§ MR. H. C. LEA (St. Pancras, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a summary of the Police Report on the Bishop of London's midnight procession in Westminster on the night of 4th April last; will he say whether it is a fact within the knowledge of the superintendent of police and the police officers who accompanied that procession that the spiritual Lord referred to came face to face with from 150 to 200 drunken men on that occasion, and whether he took a number of drunken men out of the public-houses; and, if so, whether he will state the number and what punishment was meted out to them, and the names of the public-houses whence these drunkards were taken by the right rev. Prelate.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have nothing to add to the reply given to a Question on this subject on Thursday last; the police who were present report that they saw no drunken persons.
§ MR. H. C. LEAasked whether, in the absence of a report from the police on the subject, the House was to assume the Bishop of London told the truth or a falsehood.
§ MR. GLADSTONEreplied that he had the fullest confidence that the Bishop of London made a perfectly bona fide statement.
§ MR. H. C. LEADoes not the right hon. Gentleman consider that the police have been sadly lacking their in duty in not having reported on the matter?
§ MR. GLADSTONEThey reported to me when I asked for information.
§ MR. H. C. LEAIs it not the fact that accompanying the procession were an inspector and several constables, and if the Bishop of London had gone into various public-houses on the line of route and dragged out those drunken men, ought not a report to have been made by the inspector in charge to Scotland Yard?
§ MR. CHARLES ROBERTS (Lincoln)Is it not the fact that the statement of the Bishop of London was corroborated by independent witnesses who were present, including one magistrate?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI can add nothing to what I have already said. I have no doubt of the bona fides of the statement of the Bishop of London. But I am not responsible for what he said, and perhaps the hon. Gentleman would communicate with the Bishop himself.
§ MR. H. C. LEAThe right hon. Gentleman disclaims any responsibility for the Bishop of London's statement; but is he not responsible for the conduct of the police, and can he explain why they have not reported the grave departure from the public peace of which the Bishop of London complained?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have not the slightest reason to be dissatisfied with the conduct of the police in the matter.