HC Deb 02 April 1900 vol 81 cc935-7
MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of 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. WYNDHAM

No, Sir.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

I shall repeat this question when Sir George White arrives in this country.

MR. WYNDHAM

The 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. SPEAKER

No, that is not in the nature of a personal explanation.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

May I ask whether the hon. Gentleman was in order in making an imputation against me which is wholly unwarranted?

MR. SPEAKER

I 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 MACNEILL

I submit with great respect that the hon. Gentleman said they had a mischievous tendency.

MR. SPEAKER

And it would be in order to say that.

MR. WYNDHAM

What I said was that these rumours were unfounded, and 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.