§ 15 Mr. GINNELLasked (1) the Under-Secretary of State for War why the Defence of the Realm Act is being used by the civil authorities for the punishment of political opinions, unobjectionable in 1914, by banishing from Ireland on political grounds Irish Volunteers not accused of any illegality; whether the military authorities have no knowledge of these cases until the prepared forms for banishment are submitted by the civil authorities for the formality of signature; whether he will state the number and names of the persons so banished already and of those under notice of banishment, specifying, in any case in which it is alleged, any illegality and the reason why the person has not been tried for it; whether he will specify the part of the Act relied upon to justify this punishment of political opinion without accusation or trial; whether he can specify any other object of this provocative policy than to create a pretext for executing the pogrom planned in 1914; whether the sole purpose of the Irish Volunteers is to defend the rights and liberties of all the Irish people without distinction; whether he will explain this treatment of men not accused of violating or of being pledged to violate any law or of having any illegal purpose, in view of the privileges of organising, drilling, and obtaining arms and ammunition accorded by him to the Ulster Volunteers, organised and pledged expressly to resist by force the Government of Ireland Act, 1914, and declared by the Lord Chancellor of England to be distinctly illegal; (2) whether Mr. Herbert Pim has been, under the Defence of the Realm Act, banished from Ireland and ordered not to return; if so, will he say for what illegality; why the military authorities, the competent authorities under the Act, knew nothing of the order until it was brought to them for signature; why the order, which expressly allowed him seven days to make his arrangements, was withheld until four of those days had elapsed, leaving him only three; whether the police closely watching Mr. Pim during the last six months have detected anything in his conduct for which to cite him before any Court; whether he can state any ground for the banishment of Mr. Pim, other than his political opinions, or any purpose other than to create a pretext for executing the pogrom 1475 planned in 1914; under what law he justifies this punishment for political opinions without accusation or trial while according the privileges of organising, drilling, and obtaining arms and ammunition to the Ulster Volunteers, organised and pledged expressly to resist by force the Government of Ireland Act, 1914, and declared by the Lord Chancellor of England to be distinctly illegal; and (3), the Chief Secretary, whether William Mellows, described as an organiser of Irish Volunteers, has been, under the Defence of the Realm Act, banished from Ireland and ordered not to return; and, if so, will he say for what illegality?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe orders which have been served on certain persons in Ireland prohibiting them from residing in or entering the country have been issued by and on the initiative of the competent military authority, under the powers vested in him by Article 14 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, on the ground that the persons named therein are suspected of acting or of having acted or of being about to act in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or the Defence of the Realm. As the hon. Member has already been informed, it is considered undesirable in the public interest to give details of the evidence, or of the charges in respect of which action has been taken. The powers vested in the competent authority do not require or provide for the trial of the persons as a preliminary to the exercise of those powers. The orders, which were served on the persons named in them at the earliest opportunity after signature, did not indicate in any way that a period of seven days from the date of service was allowed in which the terms of the orders might be obeyed, but in one case a conditional extension of the time limit was granted on the application of the person affected. With regard to the last part of the questions, I am in full accord with the reply given to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on the 12th May last, in which the general considerations determining the treatment of the active members of the various bodies of volunteers in Ireland are set out.
§ Mr. GINNELLI desire to ask a very simple question, requiring a "Yes" or "No" answer, with reference to parts of the question not answered, and not covered by the objection, namely: Whether the police, on whose information 1476 the military authorities are acting, and who have watched these men during the last six months, have reported anything objectionable, except their political opinions?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe reports which reached the competent military authority might be derived from the police, or might be derived from other sources. In the case of the question, there was ground to fear that these persons were about to act in a manner which I read to the House, contrary to the safety of the Kingdom, and, therefore, action was taken on that ground, and not at all in connection with political opinion.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Irish Volunteers have been proclaimed an illegal organisation?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo, Sir.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether all the persons ordered out of Ireland have obeyed the order?
§ Mr. TENNANTI should require notice of that question; if not, I imagine action would have been taken.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is subjecting the Minister to a catechism, of which he should give notice.
§ Mr. GINNELLAllow me to give notice that I will ask permission to move the Adjournment of the House after questions.
§ 30. Mr. GINNELLasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state the total amount expended to date for sustentation and other expenses of enemy aliens deprived of their livelihood by deportation and of Irish Volunteers banished from Ireland, respectively, under the Defence of the Realm Act?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have no knowledge of any expenditure of the nature indicated in the question having been incurred.