§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether cautionary notices have been served by the Irish Government on the proprietors of certain newspapers in Ireland, practically threatening them with penal consequences if they do not exclude from their journals certain items of news; if so, will he state under what statute the Irish Government has acted in this matter; and whether it has any warrant or authority for this action.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe attention of the police having been called to the publication in certain newspapers of notices purporting to be reports of meetings at which individuals, designated by name or by a description so accurate as to be equivalent to naming, were threatened with boycotting and other forms of intimidation, the police, by direction of Government, have given an oral warning to the proprietors and editors of these newspapers that the publication of such notices is illegal and if persisted in will necessitate the taking of legal proceedings. I entirely approve of the action of the police in this matter. The issue of a warning by them is a cautionary measure and needs no statutory authority, I may add that this is by no means a new departure. Within recent years it was found necessary to warn certain Irish newspapers of the illegality of publishing advertisements of foreign lotteries.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDDo I understand that no written notice has been served? Is it not a fact that certain letters have been written to editors of newspapers in Ireland, and, if so, will the right hon. Gentleman produce the letters? May I also ask whether there is any precedent for action of this kind except under a coercion regime?
§ MR. BIRRELLsaid he had been told that no letters had been written and that the warnings—friendly warnings, he should describe them—had been delivered orally. There was no coercion in the matter. The publication of things of 1415 this kind was illegal, and he saw no harm in giving people notice that they were pursuing an illegal practice.
§ MR. JAMES CAMPBELL (Dublin University)asked if this illegal practice had not been going on for the last two years, and why it was only now taken notice of.
§ MR. BIRRELLThings of this sort are left to the Executive. The right hon. Gentleman must be perfectly aware that even when Ireland had the advantage of his services things happened which might have been made the subject of prosecution, but were not. I have acted in this matter, I consider, with a wise discretion.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENinquired whether these notices, either written or oral, might not be described as threatening? Would they appear in the next return of threatening letters?
§ MR. BIRRELLNo, Sir: I think they were the most friendly notices in the world.
§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)Is there any legal objection to writing letters warning people that they are transgressing the law?
§ MR. BIRRELLNone whatever. Both courses are open, but in this case we proceeded orally.
§ MR. LONSDALEWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether there are not powers conferred upon him by the Crimes Act to deal with these offences?
§ [No Answer was given.]
§ MR. STAVELEY-HILL (Staffordshire, Kingswinford)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether certain Irish newspapers have been informed that the attention of the Government has been directed to the publication of resolutions criminally libelling and intimidating owners of grazing lands and other persons, and that, if these publications were repeated, a Government prosecution would follow; and, if so, whether he will give the names of the papers and lay upon the Table of the House a copy of the communication.
§ MR. BIRRELLAs regards the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the Question of the hon. Member for Waterford which I have just answered. The warning is being given orally and I am not in a position to give a list of the newspapers concerned.