§ MR. RENDALL (Gloucestershire, Thornbury)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the proprietors of the Daily Mail have yet communicated to the Home Office their intention of making good to the police officers concerned in the D'Angely case the cost of their defence before the Commission; and whether, if the proprietors make an offer of adequate financial reparation for the wrong done by them, he will be willing to accept it on behalf of the police officers concerned.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) LeedsAs regards the first part of the Question, no expense was incurred by individual police officers in defending themselves before the Royal Commission. The second is a hypothetical question, which I cannot undertake to answer now.
§ MR. RENDALLI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recent Police Commission has cost the taxpayers; and what, if any, contribution has been or will be made by the Exchequer towards the expenses of police officers in defending themselves from the attacks of the Daily Mail and others held by the Commission to be untrue in fact.
§ MR. GLADSTONEAll the expense incurred in connection with the Royal Commission have fallen upon the Exchequer, or upon the Police Fund. No portion of them has fallen upon individual police officers. I am unable at present to say what the total cost will be.
§ MR. J. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the proprietors of the Daily Mail sent 670 reply paid telegrams to Members of this House the other day and that scarcely any of them were used? Will he consider the advisability of making some allowance——
§ MR. SPEAKERThat hardly arises out of the Question.