HC Deb 19 July 1881 vol 263 cc1259-60
MR. BELLINGHAM

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the report in "Freeman's Journal" 14th July, is accurate that a public meeting was held on Wednesday July 13th, at the Rotunda in Dublin, at which gentlemen named Messrs. Fredericks, Winks, and Finlayson, calling themselves severally Vice President and Secretary of the Democratic Confederation of England and Vice President of the Manchester Democratic League attended; whether, at that meeting, Mr. Sexton, M.P., presided, and in reference to language previously used by English gentlemen who purported to act as deputations from Associations in England, said— That some at least of the members of these deputations had been moved to language which would have procured for an Irishman the signal horror of reasonable suspicion; whether Mr. Fredericks is correctly reported to have used the following words:— He was not afraid to say that the Government which held them in subjection, which by its laws was starving the people and driving thousands of them to other countries, could have no claim upon their submission, and no claim to their affection and allegiance; and, if the words made use of were not as reported, can he state whether any words of this character were made use of; and, whether he will take any action in the matter?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

, in reply, said he had seen the newspaper reports, but had not been able to obtain any official report of what was said on the occasion. Admission was by ticket. Police and those who were not in perfect sympathy with its object were excluded.

MR. BELLINGHAM

was understood to ask if the language used by the English Deputation was, in the opinion of the right hon. Gentleman, sufficient to warrant the arrest of Irishmen, but that Englishmen using it should be free from arrest?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

, in reply, could only say that he had carefully looked, and was still looking, at this matter. The hon. Member must really leave the Government some discretion whether they considered that certain persons ought to be arrested or not. ["Oh, oh!"] The hon. Member evidently thought that these persons ought to be arrested. Well, that was a matter for the serious consideration of the Government, and the House could hardly expect him to give any statement upon it.

MR. HEALY

asked if they would allow an Irishman to use the same language?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, that the Government would deal with each case according to its merits.