§ MR. CHARLES CRAIGOn behalf of the hon. Member for Mid Armagh, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of his declaration that the Trinity College Commission was to be an impartial and non-political body, he will reconsider the appointment of Dr. Douglas Hyde, the President of the Gælic League, who has shown a partisan spirit, and on the platform and in the Press has held up Trinity College to obloquy and ridicule.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)interposed to ask the Speaker whether it was in order to make allegations in a Question such as were here made.
§ MR. CHARLES CRAIGasked, on the point of order, whether it was not perfectly correct to say what was said in the Question of a man who had spoken of the devouring demon of Anglicization.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI do not see that there is anything I can object to in the Question. the hon. Member who has put it down makes himself responsible for that view, although I daresay a great number of persons would not take a similar view of Dr. Douglas Hyde.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)asked whether Questions were not for the purpose of asking for information, and whether they were to be used for the purpose of making calumnious statements.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI have always tried as far as possible to soften down any expressions brought to my notice in Questions which might be taken exception to.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)asked whether Questions were not put as to matters of fact, and whether an hon. Gentleman was to be able to put his own opinion through the vehicle of a Question as to whether a partisan spirit had or had not been shown, which was a matter of opinion and argument. The Nationalist Members had often been told that they were not allowed to put any Questions involving discussion.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is travelling beyond the limits of a Question.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLasked whether arguable matters and matters of opinion were allowed to be conveyed by way of question. He would again impress on the Speaker not to allow this Question to be put.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI do not think I can add anything to what I have already said. I have tried as far as possible to discountenance any Questions in which expressions are used likely to give offence.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI beg to give notice that I will put down a Question which will contain some allegations against the hon. Member.
MR. BRYCE, answering the Question, said: It would be impossible to adopt the suggestion made in the Question. I am not aware of any foundation for the allegations made, and I am informed that Dr. Douglas Hyde, who is a distinguished graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, has constantly exerted his influence to prevent the Gælic League from being drawn into the vortex of Party politics—
§ MR. CHARLES CRAIGasked whether Dr. Douglas Hyde had not on numerous occasions given vent to strong anti-English feeling, and whether it was not the fact that on one occasion—
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman has already said that he has no information to that effect. If the hon. Member wishes to ask anything further he had better give notice.