§ Mr. KILBRIDEI beg to ask the Postmaster-General a question, of which I have given him private notice: Whether his attention has been called to a circular headed "Caution," sent from Birmingham to a farm labourer in South Kildare, who is a small depositor in the Post Office Savings Bank, to this effect: If the Home Rule Bill is passed into law the Irish Government will have the appointment of Post Office officials at once, and the Post Office officials, who would in that event have to handle all the deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank, would be appointed from political organisations. It urges these depositors to withdraw their deposits and place them somewhere else. Will the right hon. Gentleman have an inquiry made as to the means by which the names and addresses of the depositors have been obtained by some outside agency?
§ Mr. JOHN REDMONDBefore the right hon. Gentleman replies, I would like to ask him if ho is aware that this is not an isolated case? I know of my own knowledge that this circular has been posted from Birmingham broadcast all over Ireland?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELMy attention has been called to the circular in question. I find no reason whatever to suppose that 1496 the circular has been sent out by a Post Office servant, or that the names and addresses of Savings Bank depositors have been communicated to the sender. In fact, from a letter shown to me, the circular would appear to have been distributed broadcast, as stated by the hon. and learned Gentleman.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEWhen the right hon. Gentleman is making the inquiry as to how this circular came to be circulated at all and how the addresses were obtained, will he ascertain whether they were sent out by a gentleman of the name of Patrick Michael Rosenbaum?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman showed the question which he desired to ask, but he did not show me that question.
§ Mr. JOHN REDMONDIs there any way, Mr. Speaker, in which the circulation through the post of lying circulars of this kind may be stopped?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI am not aware of any powers entrusted to me which would justify me in stopping the circulation of such circulars, offensive and mischevious as these appear to be.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman the Postmaster-General——
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe whole of this is really quite disorderly. An hon. Member asked a particular question, and on that there have been put a series of other questions not of an urgent character: it is quite improper.