§ MR. RAIKES (Cambridge University)May I ask the Prime Minister a Question of which I have not been able to give him Notice? It is, Whether, before the second reading of the Government of Ireland Bill, he could arrange to have the Act of Union printed and circulated among Members as a Parliamentary Paper?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE) (Edinburgh, Mid Lothian)I see no objection to that course whatever.
§ MR. RAIKESWith the proposed Amendments?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONENo, no. The Act of Union.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)Will the right hon. Gentleman at the same time issue such subsequent Acts, or portions of subsequent Acts, as repealed provisions of the Act of Union?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI should be glad to do so, but I am afraid it would be a difficult matter.
§ MR. O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)I should like to ask whether the Act declaring the independence of the Irish Parliament could not also be printed and circulated?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThe subject is new to me, because, as the right hon. Gentleman has said, he did not give me Notice of his Question; but I am inclined to think it might be advantageous to combine the printing of the Act of Union with two other Acts—namely, the Act of 1782 and the Act of 1783.
§ MR. JOHN O'CONNOR (Kerry, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman also have printed the Article referring to the Church Establishment?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEsaid, there would be some difficulty in going be yond what he had stated.
§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL (Paddington, S.)In order to make the information as complete as possible, would it be possible for the right hon. Gentleman to have prepared the number of Coercion Acts of various kinds which the Irish Parliament passed between 1782 and 1800?
§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)In order to make the Return still more complete, will the right hon. Gentleman also insert in it, if possible, the 1774 amounts of money paid to Peers and Members of Parliament to procure the passing of the Act of Union?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThe 19th century, as we all know, is distinguished by a craving for knowledge; but when carried to a certain point it becomes embarrassing. To use a popular adage, one must draw the line somewhere, and I am inclined to believe that to endeavour to give an account of the Coercion Acts passed in the Irish Parliament would entail a great deal of labour, especially when it is considered that it would have to be accompanied by an account of all subsequent Coercion Acts since Coercion Acts began. My impression is that they began before the independence of an Irish Parliament was acknowledged. I think upon the whole we ought to trust to the diligence of hon. Members in obtaining the information for themselves, which they will have afterwards an opportunity of laying before the House. I think that these Acts which have been mentioned may very properly be printed, because they contain cardinal doctrines.
§ MR. JOHN O'CONNOR (Kerry, S.)said, he would again urge the Prime Minister to have reprinted in the Return the Articles of the Union which had been repealed, particularly the 5th, which had reference to the maintenance of an Established Church.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThere is this difficulty, that other portions of the Act of Union have been changed, although no change in principle so important has been made as in this case of the 5th Article, and it would be very difficult to describe these changes. They are, however, quite notorious.