HC Deb 20 April 1893 vol 11 cc774-6
MR. LODER (Brighton)

I beg to ask the hon. Member for Linlithgowshire whether he will state the total number of Petitions which have been presented to this House in favour of and against the Government of Ireland Bill, together with the number of signatures, including the numbers already stated in the last Report of the Committee on Public Petitions? At the same time, I should like to ask the hon. Member if he can give the House any information as to what parts of the United Kingdom the Petitions come from?

MR. M'LAGAN

The total number of Petitions in favour of the Government of Ireland Bill is 15 and the number of signatures 30. The total number up to and including April 19 presented against the Bill was 1,864, and the signatures 532,700. It is not usual for the Committee to classify according to country, but to satisfy my own curiosity I examined the Report presented last week. There wore 845 Petitions presented during that period. Of those 419 were from England, one from Wales, 13 from Scotland, 411 from Ireland, and one from Switzerland.

MR. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)

In order that the House may be able to judge of the value of these Petitions, I beg to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether the signatures of boys and girls ought to be received, and whether the same persons can sign several Petitions on the same subject?

*MR. SPEAKER

There is no limitation that I know of as to the age of signatories of Petitions to this House. Of course, if the hon. Gentleman is aware that a whole school of boys or of girls have signed Petitions it is his duty to bring the matter before the Chairman of the Committee on Petitions, in order to ascertain whether compulsion had been employed. As to the other question—the same persons signing several Petitions to the same effect—I think it would be a violation of the Rules that an individual should sign repeated Peti- tions for the same purpose in the same place. If the Petitions came from different localities it might be permissible for the same person to sign more than one Petition if he had interests in such localities. I think the hon. Member would obtain more satisfactory information if he placed the matter before the hon. Member for Linlithgow, the Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, when an investigation would be made.

MR. DALZIEL

In view of your statement as to the general principle which should govern these matters, I wish to ask the hon. Member for Linlithgow whether the Committee are aware that the following communication was sent to hotel-keepers in connection with the Petitions against the Government of Ireland Bill:— Dear Sir,—The Conservative Association are very anxious to have as many sheets of Petitions against Home Rule as possible. Will you help us by signing, and getting anyone in the hotel to sign, man, woman, boy, or girl, and return the signed sheets to me? Your visitors in Easter week should be able to fill up several sheets. It makes no difference if such sheets have been signed before. Will any means be taken to check the signatures of children and the signature of the same person several times over?

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

May I ask where that circular came from?

MR. DALZIEL

I had not intended to state that, but as I am asked for it the hon. Member shall have it. The circular is dated March 28, 1893, and it is signed by Thomas Holland, Mount Ephraim House, Tunbridge Wells, the local Conservative Secretary.

MR. M'LAGAN

I did not see the circular until my attention was called to it by the question of the hon. Member. I do not know how we are to get the means of discovering the signatures of children. It is a very difficult thing, for very often the children sign a great deal better than the adults. In a case that occurred a few years ago the attention of the Committee was directed to a Petition in which it was said that a whole school of children signed. They investigated the matter and found that to be the case, and struck it out. As regards the other question, when it is found that the same person has signed more than once on the same Petition we invariably strike the name out. But we cannot say very often whether the same individual signs different Petitions. When we do discover it we also strike it out.

MR. ELYNN (Cork, N.)

Is it not the fact that in the Irish Petitions children in arms sign in a good flowing hand?

MR. PINKERTON (Galway)

May I ask whether, in cases where children are allowed to sign, it would be the duty of the Committee to inquire whether compulsion had been used?

*MR. SPEAKER

I said that in the case of a whole school of children signing it would arouse strong suspicion, and it would be the duty of the Committee to inquire whether compulsion had been used.

MR. PINKERTON

And if I produce evidence that that has been done will these Petitions be struck out?

MR. SPEAKER

If the hon. Member lays the matter before the hon. Member for Linlithgow, it will, I am sure, be carefully considered.

MR. SEXTON (Kerry, N.)

May I ask whether the hon. Member can state how many of the signatures against the Bill came from Ireland?

MR. M'LAGAN

I have not got that.

MR. COHEN (Islington, E.)

To whom was the circular addressed?

MR. DALZIEL

I shall be happy to give the hon. Member privately the information he asks for.