HC Deb 08 March 1883 vol 276 cc1754-5
SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will afford him an opportunity of bringing on the Motion, of which Notice has been given, for a Select Committee to inquire into all the negotiations and circumstances connected with the release of Mr. Parnell, M.P., Mr. Dillon, M.P., and Mr. O'Kelly, M.P., from Kilmainham Prison in the spring of 1882?

MR. GLADSTONE

Sir, I think that the House generally will probably anticipate the answer that I am about to make to this inquiry. It is that the Government adhere to the decision which on their own part they have already announced by the mouth of my noble Friend the Secretary of State for War. It would be idle, Sir, and I think an abuse of my privilege, were I to attempt to recount all the considerations that have weighed upon their minds in leading them to that conclusion; but I will just mention two of the most important. One of those considerations is that we conceive that the question whether censure was due to the Government in respect of these transactions has, upon a recent occasion, been very fully debated and decided by a vote of this House. And the second consideration is that, in our opinion, the repetition or continuance of those debates would not be favourable to the impartial administration of justice, under very trying circumstances, in Ireland, nor to the general cause of good government and contentment in that country.

SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE

Sir, the Government have now, for the third time, declined to give any assistance to those who desire to bring forward a Motion which had its origin in a suggestion and challenge made by the Prime Minister. Under these circumstances, I have only to say that I feel it both useless and unnecessary for me to persevere in the Motion—useless because, without the assistance of the Government, I have no real chance of being able to bring the matter forward, and unnecessary because I think the inferences that will be drawn from the answer of the Government are quite obvious, and need no emphasizing on my part.