The right of the Government to prohibit public meetings in
Trafalgar Square will be fairly tested in the cases of Messrs. Cunninghame Graham and Burns, who were committed for trial on Wednesday, on charges of disorderly conduct in Trafaliar Square on Sunday, November 13th. The conflict of evidence as to those gentlemen's actual conduct was astounding ; but Mr. Vaughan, the Bitting Magistrate, held that a prima: -facie case had been made oat. As to the law, Mr. Vaughan argued in favour of the right of the Crown to prevent meetings in a square which is still its property ; but his main reliance, pending a decision by superior authority, was upon the legal power of the Commissioner of Police to prevent meetings in London intended or calculated to disturb the peace. That is the substantial question to be settled, for if the Commissioner does not possess that power, meetings of roughs may be held every day round the Bank of England, and the whole course of British commerce may be arrested with impunity. There will, of course, be the further question whether this meeting could be properly so described ; but upon that subject a jury only can decide, and a London jury is seldom strongly biassed in favour of disorder.
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