§ MR. SEXTONasked the Secretary of State for War whether he had yet received from the Member for North Armagh (Colonel Saunderson) the names of the leading men in the Army upon whose authority the hon. and gallant Gentleman declared, in a recent speech at Portadown, that, in a certain event, they would refuse to do their duty in maintenance of the law; and whether he would communicate the correspondence to the House?
§ MR. E. STANHOPENo, Sir; I have not, nor do I propose to call upon my hon. and gallant Friend to furnish me with the names of the officers in question. From the only report of my hon. and gallant Friend's speech that I have seen, it appears that his words were incorrectly quoted by the hon. Member for the Scotland Division of Liverpool. But, be that as it may, I do not conceive it to be my duty to ask for the names of officers who may, in private conversation, have made use of loose and hasty expressions with regard to a hypothetical ease. It will be time enough for me to take notice of them when they are publicly used by the officers themselves.
§ MR. SEXTONIs the House to understand that an officer in the British Army is entitled to pledge himself to violate his oath if he does it in private conversation? Has the right hon. Gentleman received any report of the hon. and gallant Gentleman's speech which the hon. and gallant Gentleman admits to be correct?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEMy answer to both these Questions is, no. I have seen the report in the Irish Times.