§ MR. DODSONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Government have, as the result of the instructions sent on the 11th of July to Lord Lyons, received from the French Government an explanation of the transmission from Dieppe to Newhaven by the French police of seven men who in the night of June 29 were shipped on board the steamer "Marseilles," in the custody of or under the escort of the police; and what is the explanation, if any afforded?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDLord Lyons brought the cases alluded to by my right hon. Friend at once under the notice of the French Government, and M. de Rémusat promised an inquiry into the circumstances and an explanation. Up to this morning no such reply had been received at the Foreign Office. I may inform my right hon. Friend and the House that instructions have been sent to our Consuls at the various Channel ports to watch the departure of the steamers, and to report at once, both to the Home Government and to Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, every case that may recur of foreigners being placed on board these steamers under the superintendence of the French police authorities.
§ MR. DODSONWhen the answer is received from Lord Lyons will the noble Lord communicate it to the House?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDI will communicate privately with my right hon. Friend when the answer is received, and will then inform him whether I can make it public or not.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELI wish to ask the Prime Minister a Question springing out of that which has just been answered by the noble Lord. It will be in the recollection of the House, that during the course of the present Session many questions have been asked respecting the influx of Communists into this country. We understand that the Government have instructed Lord Lyons to use his best exertions to prevent this influx. No doubt, the Communists are a very criminal class; but in many cases they are misguided, and the victims of circumstances. The Question I have to put refers to an equally dangerous and obnoxious class. I refer to the Order of the Jesuits. My Question has reference to recent acts of spiritual power exercised in Ireland. ["Order."]
§ MR. MAGUIREI rise to Order. Is the right hon. Baronet in Order in indulging in these remarks?
§ MR. SPEAKERI trust that the right hon. Baronet will not transgress the Rules of Order.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELI wish to ask, Whether any and what steps have been taken, in compliance with the provisions of the Act of Parliament, to prevent the influx of Jesuits into this country, which dangerous Order, as well as monks, have been banished by the Parliament of 1623 Germany, by a large majority for "plotting," in the language of Prince Bismarck and the Parliament of Germany, under the direction of Rome, against the safety of the German State, and attempting to impair and imperil the civil rights and status of the subjects of that Realm. I wish to know, Whether, if the Government is not taking any steps in the matter, they will be prepared to introduce a short Act to repeal the provisions of the Act of 1829, so as to enable that class of Jesuits and monks to exercise freely their principles in this country?
MR. GLADSTONEMy right hon. Friend must be conscious that he has put to me at a moment's Notice a Question of a very arduous and serious character—not at all one, I think, to be received except with great gravity; and I should wish, whenever it is mentioned, to treat it myself in the same manner. He can hardly expect me to announce the results of any recent deliberations on the subject. It is quite true that in Germany affairs have tended to bring to a crisis the question of the presence of the Order of Jesuits in that country: but there have been no affairs of that kind in England which have tended to impress upon the question at the present moment any character other than that which it ordinarily bears. We must consider, therefore, what that character is. It is perfectly true there are provisions of the law which are directed against certain Orders of the Roman Church. But, as my right hon. Friend is perfectly aware, that is the law of 1829, and now 43 years old; and at no period since it was enacted, to my knowledge, has any step whatever been taken to give effect to that particular provision of that law. [Sir ROBERT PEEL: Oh, yes!] I speak subject to correction; but I am not aware of any steps that have been taken at any period to enforce that provision of the Act. Under these circumstances, without denying the right of the right hon. Gentleman or any other Member to raise any question upon the provisions of that law, and to challenge the Government to consider whether they will act upon that law or repeal it—which is a very fair question to raise—I am not prepared to place myself on either horn of the dilemma without further consideration. I think that that which has endured for 43 years without occasioning any fatal mis- 1624 chief to the country, may, so far as I am concerned, endure a little longer. In saying that, my right hon. Friend must not suppose that I think lightly of the the matter; because I admit that the question is one of a very grave and serious order.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELI wish to say, in explanation of the Question——
§ MR. O'REILLYIs the right hon. Gentleman in Order in saying anything in explanation of his Question after it has been answered?
§ MR. SPEAKERIf the right hon. Gentleman has any Question to ask the Prime Minister arising out of his answer, he will be in Order.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELThe reason I put the Question is this—I read the other day in The Times newspaper——
§ MR. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman is not in Order in entering into a discussion.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEI wish to give a Notice. I introduced a Bill this Session with respect to Monastic and Conventual Institutions, which would promote an inquiry into the subject of the right hon. Gentleman's Question—that is, the influx of Jesuits and monks into this country. There seems, however, to be little chance of the Bill passing this Session. I beg to give Notice, therefore, that it is my intention, in that event, to introduce a Bill for a similar purpose early next Session; and I hope that the Government will give me fair opportunities for proceeding with it.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELI also give Notice, that early next Session I shall call the attention of the House and of the country to the state of the law respecting those classes of persons.