HC Deb 28 April 1885 vol 297 cc965-7
MR. HEALY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Has Mr. William Johnston, Inspector of Fisheries, been called on to admit or deny that he wrote to the Orange Grand Master (Rev. E. E. Kane)— Expressing his readiness, if called upon, to contest one of the divisions of Belfast at the General Election; will the Government inquire if he is in a position to deny that he is the author of the following letter in The Belfast livening Telegraph:— The 12th of July is being prepared for all over Ulster. In view of the approaching General Election it will be of unusual importance. On that occasion I hope to take my place with my Orange brethren. No more loyal addresses will be presented to the Princess and Princess of Wales than the Orange ones, and I hope to be able hereafter to give emphasis to them when I am Member for South Belfast; and, do such declarations by a Civil Servant of his intention to seek a seat in Parliament constitute a broach of the Treasury Rule of November Pith 1884 (since made an Order in Council), which requires that any Civil Servant who, by an election address or "in any other manner, announces himself as a candidate," should resign his position under the Crown?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

Mr. Johnston admits that he wrote a private letter to Mr. Kane to the effect quoted, and he also admits the authorship of the letter in The livening Telegraph; but he explains that he intended the passage quoted from the letter to have reference to a future time, when, having resigned his office, he should again be able to take part in political affairs. He repeats that he had no intention of infringing the Treasury Minute; but it appears questionable, so far as I can see at present, whether he may not technically have done so.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

asked whether this case was not analogous to the case of Sir William Gurdon, who——

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

Who three times announced himself——

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

Who three times announced himself as an intending candidate for Norfolk, and is still allowed to retain his place?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order. That Question does not fairly arise out of the Question on the Paper.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

I beg to give Notice——

MR. SPEAKER

I rule that the Question is out of Order. If the hon. Member wishes to give Notice, he is at liberty to do so.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF

That is what I intend to do. I beg to give Notice that I will ask the Prime Minister a Question on Monday.

MR. HEALY

As the First Lord of the Treasury (Mr. Gladstone) is responsible for the issue of this Order, I would ask him whether his special attention has been called to the case in which one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Fisheries expressed his intention to contest one of the divisions of Belfast at the General Election, and this matter is published in Belfast newspapers, and that he intended to give emphasis to his views on a certain state of things when Member for South Belfast; and whether, on the 12th of November, 1884, a Treasury Minute was issued, which was made an Order in Council, that— If a Civil servant issued an election address, or otherwise announced himself as a candidate, he must resign his position; and, whether the right hon. Gentleman will assist the Irish Government in coming to a conclusion on this matter?

MR. GLADSTONE

said, he was sorry to confess himself unacquainted with any facts connected with the Public Service; but really he was not competent to judge of the matters embraced in this Question. He was unable to make any addition to the answer given by his right hon. Friend.

MR. HEALY

I will put a Question to the right hon. Gentleman on the Paper, as he is the person who is responsible for this matter.

MR. SEXTON

also gave Notice to ask, whether, notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Johnston gave a public pledge that he would bridle his tongue, he recently condemned energetically in a public manner the "errors of the Church of Rome?"