HC Deb 13 May 1886 vol 305 cc907-9
MR. T. M. HEALY (Londonderry, S.)

asked the Secretary of State for War, If his attention has been called to the speech of Mr. William Johnston, M.P., on Thursday last, in which he stated that, if the Government of Ireland Bill passed, Lord Wolseley and 1,000 other officers have expressed their determination to throw up their commissions and head the Protestants of Ulster; if he will inquire of General Wolseley whether there is any truth in this statement, as far as it concerns him; and, can the Right honourable gentleman inform the House as to the truth of the story generally?

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR (Liverpool, Scotland)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, by way of supplement to the Question of my hon. and learned Friend, If he would have any objection to producing a Return of the soldiers and non-commissioned officers of Irish birth in Her Majesty's Forces who were sentenced to death and afterwards served long periods of penal servitude for rising against laws passed by the Imperial Parliament and sanctioned by Her Majesty the Queen; and, if he will produce a Return of the number of soldiers of Irish birth in Her Majesty's Forces, and say whether these soldiers will be allowed the same impunity as their superior officers for expressions of treasonable intentions?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! The hon. Gentleman must give Notice of that Question in the usual way.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN)&c.) (Stirling,

I cannot, of course, at this moment answer the Question of the hon. Member for Liverpool (Mr. T. P. O'Connor). I am not surprised that the hon. and learned Gentleman (Mr. T. M. Healy) has thought it right to put this Question, although the rumour to which the Question refers might, perhaps, have been left to the contradiction furnished by its own native absurdity. I am authorized by Lord Wolseley, however, to formally contradict that he has ever alluded to the subject mentioned in any speech he has ever delivered; and, as regards the Question as it affects officers of the Army generally, I must express my firm conviction that the statement referred to is absolutely and entirely devoid of truth.

Mr. T. M. HEALY

I should like to ask the Chief Secretary, whether any steps will be taken in Ireland to prevent the making of seditious speeches of this character, with no apparent foundation whatever in fact, tending, as they do so much, to grave consequences?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)

This is a grave Question, which I should like to have further Notice of.