HOUSE OF LORDS (FOREIGN PEERS). (Hansard, 14 December 1916)

§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILL
I rise to ask a question to which I hope the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer will give his best attention. So far back as 27th July last, after having implored for eighteen months—from November, 1914—I obtained from the late Prime Minister on the floor of this House a distinct promise that he would yield to public opinion in regard to this matter and take early and immediate steps to remove from the Peerage the Duke of Cumberland and the Duke of Albany and also to remove the names of those and other enemy princes from the Orders the decorations of which they are entitled to wear. Having obtained that promise from my right hon. Friend I never took any steps in the matter from that day till this. Other hon. Members did put questions to the right hon. Gentleman in regard to it, but I was content to rely upon his promise that legislation would be introduced. But there has been no such legislation, and I would ask the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House to bear in mind that these honours held by these personages—honours such as the Grand Cross of the Victorian Order, could be taken away from them simply by a stroke of the pen in the same way as Knights' of the Garter are deprived of their Order.
As I have said, the late Prime Minister undertook to do this thing, but it has not been done. I am precluded by the Rules of the House from showing how it could 989 be done by legislation, but if an opportunity is given me I am prepared to bring in a proposal on Tuesday next showing how it can be done in half a second, irrespective of legislation. Peerages are granted by Letters Patent, and they can be taken away by Letters Patent. It is a crying scandal that this should continue. It is a crying scandal to us all, especially to those who have lost those near and dear to them, that enemies of this country should be allowed to continue to hold the highest honours which it is in the power of the Crown to confer, and that after two and a half years of warfare these high honours should still be enjoyed by men who are in command of enemy troops. It is a scandal. It is an outrage on the feelings of every soldier in the field, and I ask that this matter be attended to without delay. I could give an instance at the present moment where the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath is held by a traitor to this country and yet only a short time ago, with a great flourish of trumpets, this very same Order was conferred on the Czar of Russia and on the King of Italy. How can the right hon. Gentleman reconcile the retaining of such an honour by a German traitor prince—a German octoroon. I feel strongly on this matter. There must be no ring of privileged persons—there must be no one allowed to insult the country in this way, and if there is any power behind which prevents the necessary action being taken it must be stopped. If my right hon. Friend will look at "Burke's Peerage" he will see in the Order of the Bath no fewer than sixteen German princes. This thing is not tolerable, and I would like to ask what these honours are worth if they are thus to be held by enemies of this country? People feel very strongly about this matter. The thing should be stopped at once. We ought not to have a single enemy prince holding any of these high honours, and at the same time in command of the troops who are fighting against us. I will ask the right hon. Gentleman to see to it that these men are removed from these Orders as soon as possible.

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
I am afraid I must, like some of my colleagues, claim privilege as a member of the new Government, because I have not had time to look into this matter. I understand that what the hon. Member asks was promised by the late Government. If I may say so, I share, in this matter, the prejudices, if they be pre- 990 judices, of the man in the street, and I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the question shall have my best attention.

§ Mr. MacNEILL
I am quite satisfied with that.