§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Chief Secretary whether any documents bearing on the Parnell Commission are still preserved at the Irish Office, London, or in Dublin Castle; if so, whether he can state the general character of them; and whether any have been destroyed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThere are a number of documents in Dublin Castle referring to the Parnell Commission and dealing with the attendance of officials on subpœna before the Commission, the transfer to London of prisoners who were required to appear as witnesses, applications on behalf of "The Times" and the respondents, respectively, for inspection of official documents and requests from the Commission for information and returns as to crime, and other matters pertinent to the inquiry. No papers on the subject belonging to the Chief Secretary's office have been destroyed.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether there will be any objection to giving outsiders an opportunity of having access to these papers now?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI do not know about that. I can assure the hon. Member he will find nothing in them.
Captain CRAIGIf permission is given to anybody to have access to those papers, may we have access to the papers dealing with the dynamite outrages at that time?
§ Mr. MacVEAGHThe right hon. Gentleman has not stated whether any of those papers have been destroyed or not.
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir; none of them have been destroyed. They are all there.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHAre any of those papers in the private custody of any public official connected with Dublin Castle or Scotland Yard?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNone at all.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the total amount of money drawn up to date by Sir Robert Anderson from the public purse, including salaries, pensions, and Secret Service allowances?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Churchill)My right hon. Friend has asked me to 1398 answer this question. Sir Robert Anderson as Secretary to the Prison Commissioners drew a salary of £600 a year from July, 1877, to August, 1888. His salary as Assistant-Commissioner of Police was at first £800 a year with certain allowances; but in October, 1899, it was raised to £1,350 without any allowances, except one of £100 a year. On his retirement in May, 1901, he received a pension of £900 a year, which he still draws. I can give no information as to any allowances he may have-received from Secret Service.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any check whatever on amounts expended under the Secret Service by men like Sir Robert Anderson?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLOh, yes; the Ministers of the different Departments are absolutely and personally responsible for all these payments.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYHas the right hon. Gentleman seen an extraordinary statement by this Gentleman that the Home Office had at the time of the Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria received complete information as to an alleged plot to blow up Westminster Abbey, and whether there are any records at the Home Office which support that statement?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI must have notice of that. I do not think there are any records at all.
§ Mr. FLAVINWhat amount of money out of the Secret Service Fund was placed at the disposal of Sir Robert Anderson, and how much money did he spend on procuring evidence for the Parnell Commission?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am quite sure the hon. Gentleman will not expect me, even if it were in my power, to answer that as a supplementary question.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the question which the Prime Minister referred me to the Home Office for? What was the precise positions held by Sir Robert Anderson at the Home Office?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThat does not arise out of this question. I will certainly give my attention to it if it is put on the Paper.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked whether any papers bearing on the Parnell Commission! 1399 were removed from the Home Office or destroyed; whether any were removed from Scotland Yard or destroyed; and whether he can state generally the character of any documents still preserved at either place?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLSo far as I can ascertain no papers relating to the Commission have been removed from the Home Office or from Scotland Yard, or destroyed. The Home Office papers relate to such matters as the appointment of the Secretary to the Commission, the supply of stationery, the treatment of Irish prisoners brought over as witnesses, and the presentation to this House of the Commissioner's Report. There is also an extensive collection of newspaper extracts. The Scotland Yard papers are equally miscellaneous and uninteresting. It must be remembered that the Government took no part in the proceedings before the Commission.
§ Mr. FLAVINWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Irish witnesses were brought over at the expense of "The Times" or of the Government?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI must have notice of that.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHWill the right hon. Gentleman allow an outsider to have access to these papers, interesting or uninteresting?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI require notice of that question.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked whether there is any such post as that of Political Adviser to the Home Office; if so, whether it was ever filled by Sir Robert Anderson; and, if not, what was his precise position?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)A similar question was answered yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHMight I ask the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the statement of Sir Robert Anderson himself that he did occupy the position of Political Adviser?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIf he says so it is a mistake.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHThen will the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of my question, and say what was his precise position?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has already described it.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHNo.
§ The PRIME MINISTERThen he will be prepared to do so if the hon. Member will put a question to him.
§ Mr. CULLINANasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that Sir Richard Webster, now Lord Alverstone, denied in the House of Commons that Sir Robert Anderson had taken any part in the presentation of "The Times" case for the Special Commission, and that Sir Robert Anderson made a similar declaration in the columns of "The Times"; and whether, in view of Sir Robert Anderson's recent admissions, he will reconsider the question of having further inquiry instituted?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI do not think, as I have already said, that any sufficient ground has been shown for such an inquiry as has been suggested.
§ Mr. CULLINANMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the statements contained in that question are not true?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI have no reason to think they are not true, but I have no means of information, other than every hon. Member has, whether they are true or not.