§ VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGHI trust I may rely on the indulgence of the House if I venture, in a very few words, to make a personal explanation. My attention has been very recently drawn to some remarks that were made on Monday night last with regard to myself by the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition. In the course of his speech he said that he believed I had, in the county of Down election, communications with the Home Rulers. I am at a loss to know on what grounds the noble Lord made this assertion. No communications were made by myself, for the simple reason that no questions were asked. I can assure the noble Lord that in the many speeches I made during the time I was canvassing in Down, in not one of those speeches was there ever the slightest allusion to the question of Home Rule. The noble Lord further added that he thought it would be satisfactory if my own views wore given more freely on the subject of Home Rule. I can assure the House, and I can assure the noble Lord, that much as I appreciate, and much as I value the honour done me by my constituents in the county of Down—the county which I consider one of the finest, if not the very finest, in the whole of Ireland—a county which I am proud to think I am not the first member of my family who has had the honour of representing it—I would willingly sacrifice that seat sooner than be returned to this House as an advocate or as a supporter of Home Rule. I must apologize through you to the House for having taken up their time to-day; but I feel sure that the noble Lord will forgive my having ventured to make this explanation. Had he known my views on the subject I am sure he would not have given me occasion to make it.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI am sure the noble Lord owes me no apology for the explanation he has just made, and which I am very glad of giving him the opportunity of making. However, in order to make it quite complete, perhaps the House will allow me to make one or two observations. I think the remarks I made with reference to the noble Lord have not been quite correctly reported to him. I said, or at least I intended to say, that the noble Lord had not in any of his speeches declared himself on the subject of Home Rule. Especially I stated that what I had been informed was this—that it had been publicly stated, and had not been contradicted, that the noble Lord had had interviews with members of the Home Rule Association, and that it had been publicly announced that the assurances given to them were perfectly satisfactory to them. This statement is one which I do not understand the noble Lord to contradict. The noble Lord stated that he was at a loss to discover from what quarter I obtained my information. I beg now to give him the particulars upon which my information was obtained. An address was published by the Ulster Home Government Association, of which I need read only one passage—
In discharge of the obligations of this sacred task, we attempted to obtain concessions to our cause from the rival candidates at the late Down election. With Lord Castlereagh, we succeeded; with Mr. Andrews, we failed.That address is signed by "Isaac Johnston, president; J. C. Quinn, hon. secretary; and J. Denny, acting secretary." Subsequently to this, there appears to have been some discussion, and Mr. Quinn wrote a letter toThe Evening Telegraph,in which he said—Sir,—In reply to your leading article on the above subject, I beg to state—First, Lord Castlereagh is pledged not to vote against Home Rule.It will be satisfactory to the House, if the noble Lord desires to clear up his position, if he can give a contradiction to that statement also.
§ VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGHI have before told you I had no communication with the Home Rulers. I was asked no question on the subject of Home Rule in the county Down.