HC Deb 02 April 1914 vol 60 cc1329-30
25. Mr. JAMES CAMPBELL

asked the Chief Secretary whether, at the recent Assizes for Belfast, three men named James Toomey, Patrick Dempsey, and John Carney were awaiting trial upon the charge of publishing seditious libels of an insultng character on the Army and Navy of His Majesty the King; whether the sworn informations of the police upon which these men had been returned for trial by the stipendiary magistrate proved that each of these men had been caught in the act with which they were charged; whether, notwithstanding the gravity of the charge and the manifest guilt of the accused, the Crown declined to prosecute the charges; if so, upon whose authority was this course taken and what were the reasons for it; and in how many instances in Ireland during the year 1913 has the same course been adopted by the Crown in reference to offences of a similar character?

Mr. BIRRELL

Five men, or boys, in all, including the three mentioned by the right hon. and learned Member, were detected by the police and returned for trial in Ireland in 1913 for posting upon walls or distributing leaflets inciting persons not to join the Army and Navy, which conduct exposed them to be tried on the charge of sedition at common law. The Attorney-General for Ireland considered, and I concurred, that having regard to the circumstances of the time, and to recent occurrences it would be unwise to put a few humble boys and young men on trial for an offence which has no real effect upon the public mind in Ireland or upon recruiting. The same course was adopted during the year 1913 in two other cases of the same character as those referred to by the right hon. Member.

Mr. CAMPBELL

May I ask the age of these so-called boys?

Mr. BIRRELL

I know that "boys" is a term of wide application in Ireland. I do not know their exact age.

Mr. CAMPBELL

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will persist in the refusal of the Executive to enforce the law in these cases?

Mr. BIRRELL

I do not think I can admit the term "persist."

Mr. HAYDEN

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether any of them was an ex-law officer of the Crown?