§ Mr. T. P. O'CONNORI beg to ask the Home Secretary a question of which I have given a private notice, whether his attention has been called to the case of Henry Meagher, who, when fined 10s., was also fined 20s. or fourteen days' imprisonment because he uttered the phrase "God save Ireland" after the infliction of the first sentence, and whether the utterance of a pious and praiseworthy observation of that kind should be a cause for doubling a man's fine and sentence?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Churchill)I have seen a newspaper report of the facts of this case. I observe that the stipendiary (Mr. Stuart Deacon), who is a very able and competent officer of the law, said, "That was a very wrong expression to use in this place. I treated you with the utmost leniency, and you reply by using words which I considered to be contemptuous towards the court. Words which might properly be used in other places may not properly be used here; you will now have to pay 20s." I will write and ask Mr. Stuart Deacon to give me some further information about the case. It is quite clear he was dealing with a matter he considered a contempt of court, and was not in any way objecting to the merits of the expression, and, indeed, I think there can be no difference of opinion upon that point. I will write to him and make inquiries as to the facts, and I will be able to inform the hon. Member later.
§ Mr. T. P. O'CONNORMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he thinks a stipendiary magistrate would be entitled to double a man's sentence if he said, "God save England"?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThat obviously is a very difficult matter to answer, but I do think it would have been disrespectful if he had said, for instance, "God save Liverpool."