§ MR. O'GRADY (Leeds, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, under Section 124a of the Indian Penal Code, bogus defendants are put forward by the authorities on charges of publishing seditious articles in order to forward the measures now under consideration for dealing with charges of seditious writing in the Press; whether there is any intention in such measures that editors of newspapers shall sign a declaration before a magistrate and find substantial securities that they will not publish seditious articles; and whether the police are to be empowered to attach, and confiscate presses from which seditious matter in the meaning of the section is circulated.
§ MR. MORLEYI am not aware to what measures my hon. friend refers: but the answer to his first and third Questions, so far as I understand them, is in the negative. As to his second Question, provision is already made, in Section 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code, for taking security from editors where necessary.
§ * MR. REES (Montgomery Boroughs)May I ask if the Chief Presidency Magistrate at Calcutta is not reported in a recent sedition case to have said that the Government are powerless under the existing law to deal with such cases? Will further powers be taken on that behalf?
§ MR. MORLEYasked for notice of the Question.