§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can say under what circumstances Catherine Tolson and two other women suffrage prisoners were turned out from Strangeways Prison about 10 o'clock last Friday evening and driven in a cab to the offices of the Women's Social and Political Union in Oxford-road, and left there on the street, the offices being closed; whether one of the women fainted twice before finding accommodation for the night; whether Miss Tolson did not reach home till 3.30 in the morning, having had to walk from Altrincham to Hale through the fog; whether Miss Tolson's father had arranged with the Governor of the prison that he would meet his daughter and the other two ladies at 8.15 on Saturday morning, the day on which their sentences expired, and had given an undertaking that there would be no demonstration; and for what reason and by "whose instructions was this arrangement departed from?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Gladstone)The Governor, acting on the discretion which had been given to him, decided to discharge these prisoners on Friday night. He arranged the time so as to allow Miss Tolson to catch a train for her home at 10.50; offered to send an officer home to Rochdale with another of the prisoners, while the third was to go to a friend in Manchester for the night. The three prisoners, however, being free to do as they liked on discharge, 'elected to go together in a cab to the offices of the Women's Political and Social Union, and left the prison singing and shouting. It appears that, finding the offices of the union closed, they drove to a friend's house; that Miss Tolson was pressed by one of her friends to remain with her for the night, but that she insisted on going home in a taxicab, and on the driver losing his way in a fog, she walked the last part. It is true that the Governor had arranged with her father to release her at 8.15 a.m. on Saturday, but the father had first voluntarily promised in a letter, which I have seen, to keep this information to himself, in order that there might be no demonstration. The Governor found, in the course of Friday, that information of the hour of release had been communicated to the Women's Social and Political Union; and, to avoid 358 any demonstration, decided to release the prisoners on Friday.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether any intimation as to the change of the arrangements was made to the father of Miss Tolson, or any of the relatives of the girls, and is the Home Secretary aware that there is a special prison rule (No. 3) which provides that in the case of girls under 20 years of age intimation must be sent either to the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society or some responsible person; and is the Home Secretary aware that Oxford-street, where these girls were sent by the express orders of the Governor, is one of the lowest streets in the City of Manchester?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEI think I have already given a very full answer to the hon. Member's question. I must say that the girl's father did not keep to the arrangement, and I do not see why any further communication should be made.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEIs the Home Secretary aware that Miss Tolson's father denies that statement?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEWhat statement?
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEThe statement that he informed the Women's Social and Political Union; and is it not a fact that the father has been informed in a letter from the Deputy-Governor of the prison that the reason why the release was made on the Friday was in consequence of a telegram received from the Home Secretary? Will the right hon. Gentleman explain why that telegram was sent, and what were its contents?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEThe hon. Member's information is inaccurate. I have already stated the exact facts. A discretion was given by me to the Governor to act according to his judgment, and release the prisoners either on Friday or on Saturday.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEAs the accuracy of my statement has been called into question I will read a paragraph to the House. [HON. MEMBERS: "NO."] It is a matter of importance, and I wish to ask the Home Secretary whether he has received a copy of a letter sent by the Deputy-Governor of the prison to Miss Tolson's father, in which he says:—
When I telephoned to you that the arrangement for 8.15 the following morning, entered into between yon and Captain Haines, stood good, it was to the best of my belief understood that, this was so, and it was my intention to carry it out. It was not till some time afterwards that a telegram from London made it impossible for me to make any reply.
§ Mr. GLADSTONEI have stated the facts, and have nothing to add.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEThe facts will be stated later in the law courts.