CLASS V. (Hansard, 23 August 1889)

§ MR. T. M. HEALY
With reference to the question of the Argentine Republic, as the Papers have not yet been laid on the Table, I presume that the correspondence is not concluded. I submit that this is a specific matter on which the British Government are bound to take action, seeing that the rights and property of something like three thousand individuals are affected. I complain that not only have the Argentine Republic treated the Irish emigrants badly but that the British Government have allowed the agents of a foreign Government to go about the country inducing people to emigrate, and you have allowed the publication of fictitious advertisements promising that ships shall sail on given days, whereas 359 no ships have started, and the result has been that the intending emigrants who had sold every stick they possessed in the world, and who had parted with their farms and homes, were kept waiting for days at Queenstown, where the foreign agents extracted from them additional sums in order to give them better passages on these phantom vessels. I have already written to the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs on this subject. I have suggested to him that foreign Governments ought not to be allowed to recruit their population—or pretend to do so—at the expense of Her Majesty's subjects. I think that the provisions of the Foreign Enlistment Act should be applied by the Government to meet this case, and a strong protest made against such conduct on the part of the Argentine Republic. I have forwarded a long list of cases to the Foreign Office, and I consider that the Government should make inquiry into the matter. The Government ought to insist upon any money being repaid which has been extracted from those who had intended to emigrate, but have been prevented by the non-arrival of the ships advertised to sail. Mr. O'Mara, the Dublin Representative of the Argentine Republic, has admitted that his Government has acted abominably towards these emigrants, and he has condemned the action of the man at Cork who extracted money from the people for the better passages. Lord Salisbury ought to send a couple of gunboats out to the Republic with an intimation from the Foreign Office that foreign Governments cannot be allowed thus to deceive emigrants. We Irishmen have to suffer under the British Government; I think we are entitled to reap all the benefit of the British forces for the maintenance of which We are taxed, and I believe that if Lord Salisbury made proper representations to the Minister of the Argentine Republic he could get redress. The Dublin agent of the Republic seems to be an honour- 360 able man; he confesses that the emigrants have been deceived, but he is helpless. I know this, that if instead of Irish emigrants, it had been the Egyptian bondholders who had been deceived there would not have been any hesitation in demanding redress. But there is nothing Jewish about these poor people, they are not Jews or Gentiles, they are only Irish tenants, and, therefore, nothing can be done for them.

§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir J. FERGUSSON,) Manchester, E.
On a previous occasion I promised the hon. and learned Member that if he would move for Papers in connection with this matter they would be given. I cannot say that this part of the question has been concluded; but as soon as I heard from the hon. and learned Gentleman that hardships had been suffered by people in Ireland by the non-arrival of ships which had been promised, inquiries were immediately made through the Minister of the Argentine Republic, though I cannot say that a satisfactory conclusion had been come to as to why these ships have not arrived. Various causes have been assigned, and we may not be able to clear it up conclusively, shall soon bring the matter to a point. In the meantime, if any persons have been deceived, and have paid money, they have their legal remedy, and I hope that the hon. and learned Gentleman will advise those whom he has so well befriended that they have this remedy. The Secretary of State will do what he properly can to prevent people from being misled by unfair representations, but as far as my information goes it does not show that the Argentine Government have deceived the emigrants who have entered the Republic. On the contrary, they have been treated very well, and some of them have prospered exceedingly. We make public all the information we procure, so as to obviate hardships re- 361 suiting from misconception. Papers are being prepared and if the hon. Member will move for them they shall be issued.

§ MR. T. M. HEALY
I cannot say that I regard the statement as satisfactory. Six weeks ago I forwarded to the right hon. Gentleman the names of those poor emigrants, and instead of strong representations being made to the representatives of the Argentine Republic, those people are told to go to law. How is it possible for them to go to law with the Argentine Republic? Did this country go to law with Arabi, the Egyptian? No, they presented the muzzles of their guns against him. I do urge that this is clearly an occasion for the interference of the Government. I consider the answer unsatisfactory and another proof of the determined manner in which justice is refused to the Irish people.

§ SIR J. FERGUSSON
It is all very well to talk in that way, but I repeat that if these people have been deceived it is by somebody with whom they contracted in Ireland. It is absurd to talk about going to war and using the forces of the Crown in a case of contract made in this country for breaches of which there is presumably a legal remedy.

§ MR. T. M. HEALY
The Argentine Republic are allowed to advertise in Ireland, tempting Irish people to emigrate. Where is the contract? The representative of the Republic has done his best for these people, and I cannot advise them to go to law with him. This, I repeat, is only a specimen of the way in which your Government treat our people.