HC Deb 04 July 1934 vol 291 cc1883-4
Mr. MAXTON

I beg leave to present a Petition protesting against the infringement of the rights of free speech and calling for the withdrawal of prosecutions that are taking place against Mr. Tom Mann and Mr. Harry Pollitt: To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Parliament Assembled: The Humble Petition of British citizens sheweth that Mr. Harry Pollitt and Mr. Tom Mann have been arrested and charged with delivering seditious speeches and have been committed for trial at Swansea Assizes. And wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray that the above-mentioned charges against Mr. Harry Pollitt and Mr. Tom Mann be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn"—

Mr. LEWIS JONES

I wonder, Mr. Speaker, whether you will give your Ruling whether it is in order for an hon. Member to ask leave to present a Petition affecting a matter which is at the very moment on trial before His Majesty's Judges in the High Court?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member's petition is quite in order.

Mr. MAXTON

The hon. Member might have credited me with at least the decency of having inquired from Mr. Speaker whether what I was doing was in order, or not— And wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray that the above-mentioned charges against Mr. Harry Pollitt and Mr. Tom Mann be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. The petition has been signed by 75,000 persons situated in all parts of Great Britain and several parts of the Dominions and Colonies, and is representative of a very wide and very strong feeling.