§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether 2323 he had yet received any statement from Mr. Monro with reference to Sir Robert Anderson's allegation that Mr. Monro sanctioned his conduct in writing articles for "The Times" newspaper?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Churchill)I have received the following statement from Mr. Monro: "In 1887 I was Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police, under the Home Office, in charge of secret work. Mr. Anderson was an agent of mine (as were others), chiefly as being a channel of information received from a man in America, who corresponded directly with him, and whose name I did not know. When 'The Times' earlier articles appeared they certainly caused a sensation in London, and everybody was talking about them. I have no doubt that Mr. Anderson and I talked about them, and I can quite imagine that I may have welcomed public interest being directed to the existence of a dangerous conspiracy. But such an expression of opinion was a very different thing from authorising an agent of mine to give information to the public. Such a course would have been opposed to all my training in a service where communication on the part of officials with the Press was carefully limited. As a matter of fact, no such authority was asked by Mr. Anderson, and none was given to him by me. When subsequently articles appeared in 'The Times,' I was unaware of the name of the author, and naturally I made no report on the subject to the Home Office. A long time afterwards Mr. Anderson informed me that he had written one or more of the articles, and I felt much annoyed. However, the evil, if such it was, was done, and nothing was to be gained by saying anything on the subject. I therefore observed silence. I may have mentioned the matter at the Home. Office in confidential talk, but as the incident had passed many months previously, and there was no object in reopening the question, I did not report it officially."
§ Mr. MacVEAGHIn view of that reply, I take it that the statement of Sir Robert Anderson that he had the permission of his official superior to write these articles for "The Times" may be treated as another of "Anderson's Fairy Tales."
§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was in a position to state if Sir Robert 2324 Anderson had surrendered to the Home Office the documents held by him and for which State money had been paid?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLSir Robert Anderson informs me that he has in his possession a mass of private papers which he brought to his own residence when he was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police, and which he has never since examined. I have requested him to examine those papers, and to send me any which he received while acting as agent for the Home Office, and particularly any paid for with money provided from the Exchequer; and he has undertaken to comply with my wishes in this matter.
§ Mr. BELLOCDoes that mean that he will restore to the Government the property for which the Government has paid, and which has a considerable money value?
§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was prepared to allow inspection of all documents in Scotland Yard or the Home Office bearing on the Parnell Commission?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLNo, Sir. I am sorry I cannot make an exception to the necessary rule that the files of Home Office and Police Papers must be treated as confidential.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he could say on whose recommendation Sir Robert Anderson's salary was increased in 1899 from £900 to £l,350; on what grounds was the increase made; was it approved by the Home Secretary of the day; and whether the increase was made with a view to provide Sir Robert Anderson with a larger pension as compensation for services rendered?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe increase was made by the Home Secretary and the Treasury, acting under the powers conferred on them by the Metropolitan Police Act, 1899, which had been just passed by Parliament. The object of that Act was to allow the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner to be paid by salary for all their duties instead of by a limited salary and several allowances. In Sir Robert Anderson's case the immediate increase of emoluments was only £14 10s., and the ultimate increase in his pension about £100.