The Law's Lawlessness.

NZ Truth, Issue 443, 13 December 1913, Page 2

The Law's Lawlessness.

Why aro tho Specials Not Prosecuted?

r Mr. George Gray, m addressing an opon air meeting of Watersiders and their sympathisers last Sunday afternoon, made one or two most telling points.' Speaking of tho*colefityf with which the mounted 'sp' shells" turn to and baton all und sundry on tho " slightest provocation, he rev called tl>o Lloyd George riots m Birmingham during the time of tho Boer war. Xloyd Goorgo was a pro-l^oer, and on his arriving at, Birmingham to address the Radicals of that head-centre OF TORY UNIONISM, 1 ho was met with the most hostile rocoption ho over received m any town m Great Britain. There was a • crowd of some .'15,000 people and a \ disturbance of tho pence took place m which a 1 man named- Curtain, was struck on tho head with a baton and was taken to the Upsnital m an un* conscious condition. Tho man never! recovered consciousness, nnd tho cnso was brought up m tho House of Commons, and afterwards a test case wa*t brought m the courts, and i finally referred to the ITouso of ! Lords. To it* Judgment, the House! of Lords declared that constables, j spocial or regular, | HAVE NO LKUAL RIGHT j to u*e a baton on any citizen; that policemen's duty m tho enso of • a breach of the peace was to arrest tho offender or ofTondfetft. If unablo to do so, then the club could bo used for tho purpose of stunning tho ; accused m order to make It safe for ; tho policemen to enrry out the ar- j rent, and this only when no other ' method of arrest was available. That J« the law m old, slow-going, out-of-dute, undcMocraiic Britain. IToW different Uu\v inannjje thinctß m i Ood'a Own Country j I (.how Id Hko j to sco tho Act under which tho mounted "spcH-h<»ll»" of the Kcrole ITerdninn charged into n catn<*rin«r of citizens, clubbing down all that came m their way. Then** men, nc»j cording to Our Judgment of the .House- of Lord*, In tho Curtain

case, made themselves liable for assault, but, so f ar, we have' not heard of one of them being reprimanded, not to say arrested.