§ MR. PARNELL, who had the following Question on the Paper:—To ask the Secretary of State for War, If he has any objection to say whether the letter from the Reverend Hugh Behan to Sir John Dillon to which he referred, in answer to a previous Question, as containing a demand that Sir John Dillon would send the Meath Militia regiment to Mass on the 6th and 27th of May, is in existence; and, if not, when and under what circumstances it ceased to exist; whether there was not a subsequent letter from the Reverend Hugh Behan to Sir John Dillon, containing a request that he would allow the men to attend Mass on the 27th of May, and whether he has any objection to lay copies of this letter, and of the reply to it, upon the Table of the House; and, whether it is a fact that the Tipperary and Westmeath Regiments of Militia are allowed by their commanding officers to attend Mass on holidays; and whether he will direct that some facilities should be given in future by the commanding officer of the Meath Militia to enable his men to do the same; expressed a wish to postpone it to a future day, when he proposed to put another Question on the subject to the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for War.
MR. GATHORNE HARDYsaid, that as the first Question which the hon. Member had on the Paper involved an imputation upon him he would rather reply to it at once. The Question represented him as having on a former occasion quoted a letter from the Rev. Hugh Behan which in some way was supposed to have ceased to exist. This 1924 seemed to involve an imputation upon him (Mr. G. Hardy) of having dealt unfairly with that letter. The truth was he held that letter in his hand at that moment. He distinctly stated on the former occasion that it contained not a demand but a request from the clergyman that Sir John Dillon would allow the men to attend Mass. With respect to the other Question, he might remark that he had another letter from Mr. Behan, which was not to the effect stated by the hon. Member, but contained a request, which was complied with, that the men might be allowed to attend Mass at a different hour than usual on three separate days. Great and needless labour would be imposed on the War Office if that Department were to ascertain when Militia officers allowed or did not allow their men to attend particular religious services.
§ MR. PARNELLwished to know whether the right hon. Gentleman declined to take any further steps in the matter?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYreplied, that every Commanding Officer of Militia had full power to allow the men under his command to attend the religious services of the denomination to which they belonged. The facilities given were amply sufficient for the purpose, and it was not his intention to give further facilities. Any abuse of that power would be dealt with at the War Office; but if there were no abuse he certainly should not interfere in the matter.
§ MR. PARNELLdistinctly disclaimed the idea that he wished to make any imputation on the right hon. Gentleman. At the same time, he must say that the right hon. Gentleman appeared by his answer to be—
§ MR. SPEAKERinterposed and said the hon. Member could only make a personal explanation respecting himself.