§ 67. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State for War the principle on which Sergeant Cusack, of the Royal Irish Rifles, has been arrested, imprisoned for a week in Belfast, and his person and house searched because he has been for some time an instructor of a company of the Irish Volunteers; whether the search revealed anything but papers and a card of membership of the Irish Volunteers, dated March, 1914; whether he was in November, 1914, and is now again, penalised for that connection; whether officers and noncommissioned officers connected with the Ulster Volunteers at that time and since have also been penalised for that connection; and, those two bodies having been declared equal in point of legality, will he explain the difference of treatment and undertake that Sergeant Cusack shall not be penalised for conduct similar to that of the officers and non-commissioned officers?
§ Mr. FORSTERSergeant Cusack was placed under arrest pending investigation into a charge of a serious breach of King's Regulations, paragraph 449A. A similar charge was brought against him in November, 1914, when he was cautioned. He has not been penalised in either case. No similar breach of discipline has been reported of any other officer or soldier serving in the Irish Command.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the breach of discipline was while instructing the Irish Volunteers, and whether this man will be given permission to change to another regiment?