HC Deb 17 June 1880 vol 253 cc185-6
MR. O'DONNELL

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he will lay upon the Table the Oath or Form of Attestation of the Irish Constabulary; and, whether it is true that freemasonary is the only secret society to which an Irish constable is expressly permitted or recommended to belong?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

With the permission of the House, I will read the Oath itself, as it is not very long. It is administered according to the 6th William IV., cap. 13, section 6, and recites— I do swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady the Queen, without favour or affection, malice or ill-will, that I will see and cause Her Majesty's peace to he kept and preserved, and that I will prevent to the best of my power all offence against the same, and that while I shall continue to hold the said office I will, to the best of my skill and knowledge, discharge all the duties thereof, in the execution of warrants and otherwise, faithfully, according to law, and that I do not now belong, and that I will not while I shall hold the said office, join, subscribe, or belong to any political society whatsoever, or to any secret society whatsoever, unless to the Society of Freemasons. As the hon. Gentleman will see, the man is not recommended to join the society of Freemasons. He is not dis- qualified from holding the office because he belongs to the society. It must be plain to the House that it would be perfectly absurd, or worse than absurd, to allow a member of the Constabulary to belong to what is generally understood to be a secret society. The idea of a member of the Constabulary being a Ribbonman, or anything of that kind, would be preposterous. With regard to the society of Freemasons, it is not generally thought to be an extraordinary evil society, and many of the Royal Princes—for instance, the Prince of Wales—belong to it, and I cannot imagine they would be guilty of anything disloyal.

MR. FINIGAN

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether Orangeism is included as a secret society?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I am very ignorant of what Orangeism exactly is. I do not know whether it is a secret society or not. If the hon. Member will give Notice of the Question, I will inquire about it.

MR. O'DONNELL

I beg to give Notice that, with regard to the question of Freemasons in the Royal Irish Constabulary, I will call attention in Committee of Supply to the complaints made of the manner in which Freemasons help one another in the matter of promotions.