§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether John Hyland, Military Staff Clerk. Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, was suddenly dismissed on April 19, 1887, on the ground that he had conveyed copies of minutes of proceedings outside the arsenal; whether there was any Court Martial or Court of Inquiry held, or legal proceedings taken in the case; whether John Hyland positively denied the charge; whether John Hyland received, on his discharge, the allowances of a Brigade Quartermaster Sergeant, and whether the discharge certificate of the said John Hyland describes his character as "very good;" whether the spare copies of the minutes of proceedings referred to were shown to have been thrown into a corner of the office and used as waste paper; and, if he can explain how the discharge of John Hyland, without any formal inquiry for alleged disgraceful conduct in revealing secrets, is compatible with the official character "very good" afterwards recorded?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)The answer to the first Question is, Yes; and to the second, No. To the third Question the reply is, that Hyland made no direct denial of the charge, but merely said that he did not know what it meant; to the fourth, that he received the usual allowances on discharge, as no forfeiture had been decreed by sentence of a Court Martial. To the fifth I can only say that I am not aware that spare copies have been "shown" to have been so treated; but probably there have been superfluous copies. This, however, does not diminish the man's offence in selling them. I was absolutely satisfied of this man's guilt; but as he had not been convicted by any Court, it was not possible, in accordance with the Regulations of the Service, to withhold his general character as shown in his records of service up to that date.