HC Deb 15 March 1888 vol 323 cc1305-8
MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)

had the following Question on the Paper: To ask the First Lord of the Treasury, If the "Geoffrey Browning," who signed the address to the right hon. Members for St. George's, Hanover Square, and Rossendale for the recent Unionist demonstration in Dublin is the gentleman who receives £1,000 as Solicitor to the Irish Land Commission; and, if Mr. B. Leech, author of a pamphlet against Home Rule, price 3d., is paid a similar salary as Examiner on Title to the Irish Land Purchase Commission? The hon. and learned Gentleman said, that before he asked the Question which stood in his name, he wished to state that as he wrote the Question it would read—"To ask the First Lord of the Treasury, If the Geoffrey Browning, who signed the address to Lord Hartington and Mr. Goschen for the recent Tory demonstration in Dublin, etc." For the word "Tory" the word "Unionist" had been substituted. He wished to know whether the word Tory was an un-Parliamentary word?

[No reply.]

MR. T. M. HEALY

then asked the Question.

THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)

I will endeavour to answer the hon. and learned Gentleman without referring to the word "Tory." Mr. Geoffrey Browning, who signed the address to the Marquess of Hartington and Mr. Goschen, is the Solicitor to the Irish Land Commission, and receives £1,000 a-year. Mr. Leech also receives the same salary as Examiner on Title to the Irish Land Purchase Commission, and is the author of a pamphlet entitled The Continuity of the Irish Revolutionary Movement. Questions somewhat similar to these have several times been put to me relative to other members of the Civil Service; and it may be as well that I should state the position of the Treasury in regard to the general question as to how far permanent Civil servants are at liberty to take part in politics. There is, I am informed, no written Rule extending to the whole Service on the subject; but the existence of an unwritten but operative law is proved by the rarity of the charges of partizanship brought against Civil servants. Speaking generally, the Rule is as I have before stated—namely, that permanent members of the Civil Service of all grades are to avoid taking any public or prominent part in politics; as it is only under these conditions that satisfactory relations between Ministers and Civil Service Departments, and with the public at large, are possible. Her Majesty's Government—and, I think, all previous Governments—have desired to give to Civil servants, within the bounds I have indicated, the fullest possible freedom as to the exercise of their political opinions; but if complaints that such freedom had been abused became frequent, it would be the duty of the Government to consider what Regulations were necessary for the protection of the interests of the general body of the Civil Service. In certain Departments the Heads have already laid down Rules on the subject; but these Rules are not general to the Service, and Her Majesty's Government rely on the good sense of the permanent Civil Service to make the issue of Regulations unnecessary. I am informed by the Irish Land Commissioners that they have always disapproved of any of their officials taking part in any political manifestation, In the above cases, and also in that of another gentleman, and who subscribed to the fund for Mr. Wilfrid Blunt's defence, the Commissioners conveyed their disapproval to those gentlemen when the matter was first brought under their notice some two months ago. I may add that, having had very considerable experience of the Civil Service, and having had as my Private Secretary, in my first Office of Secretary to the Treasury, a gentleman of opposite politics to my own, and who served me most loyally and faithfully, but who subsequently became Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, and who now holds a high, office in the Civil Service, I wish to bear my testimony generally to the great discretion exercised by those gentlemen in the discharge of their duty both as Civil servants and citizens. I should deeply regret if it were necessary to impose any restriction upon them, because I think, generally speaking, it is not necessary or deserved. I trust, therefore, that the assurance of the Government that Civil servants will be discouraged from taking any active part, by way of public speaking, in politics will be sufficient to prevent the issue of any Regulation upon the subject.

MR. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)

Will the prohibition extend to the Inspector of Irish Fisheries, who made a speech in the General Synod of the Church of Ireland?

[No reply.]

MR. T. M. HEALY

As to the statement with reference to the Examiner on Title to the Irish Land Purchase Commissioner, Mr. Brougham Leech, who wrote a pamphlet on the continuity of the Irish Hottentot movement, or whatever it was, is the right hon. Gentleman prepared to say whether that pamphlet will, after the remark he has made, be withdrawn from circulation?

MR. W. H. SMITH

No, Sir. I am not prepared to add anything to what I have already stated. The hon. and learned Gentleman is aware that in times past many eminent members of the Civil Service have used their pens to forward views which they advocated as private citizens. I have in my mind specially one gentleman—Sir Thomas Farrer—who scarcely allowed a month to pass without taking part in political controversies in periodicals. No objection has ever been taken, nor has any President of the Board of Trade, though opposed to him in politics, had occasion to find fault with Sir Thomas Farrer in the course he pursued. I think I have said enough to show that the Government will discourage partizanship on the part of Civil servants, and it must be left to the Heads of Departments to determine at present whether that partizanship is unfair or not.

MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

With reference to this Question, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether his attention has been directed to the fact that occurred in the same Department, that Mr. George Fottrell was dismissed by his Predecessors in the Irish Office because he expressed a slight opinion in favour of a certain provision of the Land Act; and is he, on the face of that precedent, going to dismiss one man because he expresses an opinion on one side, and retain another man because he has expressed very much greater partizanship on the other side?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I have no knowledge of the circumstances under which Mr. George Fottrell was dismissed.

MR. DILLON

Will the right hon. Gentleman cause inquiry, because this is a matter of considerable importance? I will ask the Chief Secretary will he cause inquiry into the matter, so that the Irish people may not be led to believe that a man who had displayed partizanship in favour of the Unionist Party would escape censure, while a man who expressed an opinion on the other side would be dismissed from his office?

MR. W. H. SMITH

If the hon. Member will put a Question on the Paper for Monday, I shall be ready to answer him.

MR. DILLON

I will do so.

MR. T. M. HEALY

There is a Blue Book on the subject issued in 1881.

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)

Is there any objection to issue a Rule for the whole of the Civil Service, applying not only to the Heads of Departments but also to the lower officials?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I object to answer a Question affecting a large number of loyal servants of the Crown without Notice.

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

I shall ask the Question to-morrow.