§ MR. CALLANI beg to put a Question to the Chairman of Committees, of which I have given him private Notice, in reference to my Question of Monday last. I then asked him—Whether the information contained in the semi-editorial paragraphs in the "Observer" and "Standard" newspapers, to the effect that in suspending the Irish Members on Saturday the Chairman was actuated by considerations of their conduct not merely through the 19 hours of that Sitting, but during the 23 days during which the Committee were engaged in considering the Prevention of rime Bill, was communicated by him? when he stated in reply that to neither of the papers mentioned, nor to any of the reporters, as far as he knew, had he communicated such information. I have now to ask the right hon. Gentleman, Whether at the time he gave that answer he had any knowledge of the circumstance that a communication alleged to be in his own handwriting, and marked "private and confidential," had been addressed to the Press?—[Cries of "Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERI must ask the hon. Member to state from what source he 1512 makes these observations to the House. He is reading, I believe, an article from some newspaper?
§ MR. CALLANI am asking a Question based on information received by me after the House had risen last night.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is reading from an article in a newspaper.
§ MR. CALLANNo, no, Sir; they are my own words only. I am asking the right hon. Gentleman, Whether, at the time he gave that answer, he had any knowledge of the circumstance that a communication, alleged to be in his own handwriting, marked "private and confidential," had been communicated to the Press, to any Press agency, or to any reporters in the Gallery, containing substantially the same information as that which appeared in the paragraphs that appeared in The Observer and The Standard?
§ MR. LYON PLAYFAIRThe hon. Member for Louth asked me, at 5 o'clock on Monday, whether I had communicated paragraphs to The Observer and Standard, and I said that I had not directly nor indirectly communicated with those papers, nor, as far as I knew, with any of the reporters. At 11 o'clock the same evening the London manager of The Scotsman, to whom I had written a note marked "private and confidential," told me that he had shown my note to several gentlemen in the Gallery. That was the first time I heard of it. In that note I simply repeated what I stated to the Committee when Naming the Members—that the Naming of the Members was for a combination to obstruct, continued for some time.