§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of 936 State for War whether he is aware that Sir George White has stated that efforts were made by the War Office to supersede him, and that those efforts were prevented by Sir Redvers Buller; and, if so, what action is proposed by the War Office.
§ MR. WYNDHAMNo, Sir.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI shall repeat this question when Sir George White arrives in this country.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe hon. Member may repeat the question, but I should like to take this opportunity of stating that, while I am always ready to give information on questions of fact, I am not prepared to discuss by way of question and answer in this House what is merely a mischievous repetition of unfounded rumours.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL, rising at a later stage, said: Perhaps the House will bear with me in making a personal explanation. The Under Secretary for War has said that I was using the power of questioning in order to put in mischievous suggestions, and the cheers with which hon. Gentlemen opposite received the statement proves how grave is the accusation against one in my capacity as a Member of Parliament. As this is a personal explanation, may I give the House the evidence on which I based my question?
§ MR. SPEAKERNo, that is not in the nature of a personal explanation.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLMay I ask whether the hon. Gentleman was in order in making an imputation against me which is wholly unwarranted?
§ MR. SPEAKERI understood the Under Secretary to say that in his opinion these questions were mischievous. I do not think the hon. Gentleman said that they were asked from a mischievous motive.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI submit with great respect that the hon. Gentleman said they had a mischievous tendency.
§ MR. SPEAKERAnd it would be in order to say that.
§ MR. WYNDHAMWhat I said was that these rumours were unfounded, and 937 that their repetition was mischievous. So it is. I made no charge against the hon. Member; it was merely a statement of opinion in which I was perfectly warranted.