HC Deb 28 April 1885 vol 297 cc967-8
MR. SEXTON

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Foreign Secretary has caused representations to be made by Mr. George Errington, M.P. to the Sovereign Pontiff, with the object of preventing the appointment by His Holiness of the Very Reverend Dr. Walsh, Vicar Capitular of the Catholic See of Dublin, to be the Archbishop of that See?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

; I am requested by Lord Granville to state that he has given no such instructions to Mr. Errington to favour or press the claims of any Prelate as successor to the late Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.

MR. LEAMY

Will the noble Lord be good enough to say what Mr. Errington is doing at Rome?

[No reply.]

Subsequently—

MR. W. J. CORBET

said: In reference to this matter, I would ask the noble Lord, whether he has seen the following passage in The Times of this day:— Our Correspondent in Rome informs us that if the Vatican proceed and persists in nominating to the Archiepiscopal See of Dublin Dr. Walsh, rather than Dr. Donnelly, who is patronized by the English Government, Mr. Errington, who is officially intrusted with the duty of settling with the Holy See ecclesiastical questions connected with England, will immediately leave Rome. I wish, Sir, to ask whether Mr. Errington has been intrusted with any instructions on this subject?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I have not seen the passage the hon. Member refers to. The Question must be put on the Paper.

MR. T. D. SULLIVAN

Surely the noble Lord can answer the simple Question as to whether Mr. Errington has any official mission at Rome?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I explained last year—no, the year before last—the circumstances relating to Mr. Errington's visit to Rome. If the hon. Member will refer to the answer I gave then, I think it was on the 11th of June, of which I shall be very glad to send him a copy, he will be able to see what were the circumstances to which I have referred.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

Does the noble Lord mean to say that, at any rate with regard to Mr. Erring-ton's mission, the policy of Her Majesty's Government has for a period of 12 months undergone no change?

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE

I stand entirely stand by the statement I then made.