§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware if any official or other documents exist in connection with the appointment of Sir Antony MacDonnell as Under-Secretary; if so, whether he will lay copies of them upon the Table for the information of Members; if he can say whether the Under-Secretary is at liberty to publish any letters he may have on the subject without the authority of the Government; and, if not, will he grant him the necessary permission.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) There is no record in the Chief Secretary's office of any documents connected with the appointment of Sir Antony MacDonnell as Under-Secretary except those of a purely formal character. With any correspondence which may have taken place between Sir Antony MacDonnell and any member or members of the late Government, His Majesty's present Government have no connection or responsibility, and over it they have no control. Sir Antony MacDonnell has asked me to say on his behalf that he has no personal objection to the publication of the correspondence referred to, but he sees no reason why 673 he should take the initiative in publishing it, and he thinks that if his own letters are published all others relating to the matter should be published likewise.