§ 53. Mr. GINNELLasked the Prime Minister if he will say why the official account of the first terms offered by Patrick H. Pearse prior to surrender is still withheld, and none published but an unconditional surrender alleged to have been signed by him when in custody; whether he has seen the last republican bulletin, dated 29th April, 1916, stating that, believing that the stand that had been made by the soldiers of Irish freedom during the previous five days had been sufficient to gain recognition of Ireland's national claim at an international peace conference, and being desirous of preventing fruitless slaughter of the civil population and to save the lives of as many as possible of their followers, the members of the provisional government present had agreed by a majority to open negotiations with the British commander, which was signed by P. H. Pearse, commanding-in-chief; whether he will give the House the text of Mr. Pearse's first communication to the military in pursuance of that bulletin, and of the reply from the military; whether all who knew the terms first offered and accepted before surrender have since been executed; whether it was to prevent his making those terms known that, differing from the other leaders, no one now living was allowed to see Mr. Pearse before his execution; whether his desire to see his mother was effectually denied; whether his desire to see his brother William, subsequently executed, was effectually denied; if there was any motive for this exceptional seclusion other than to prevent the terms of surrender becoming known, what was it; and whether, now that the exigencies of the time are past, he will, in justice to Mr. Pearse, state the terms first offered by him before surrender and the military reply to that first offer?
§ Mr. FORSTERrose—
§ Mr. GINNELLOrder! I beg to ask Question No. 53 of the Prime Minister?
§ Mr. FORSTERrose—
§ Mr. GINNELLOrder!
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf the hon. Gentleman does not wish the question to be answered—
§ Mr. GINNELLYes; this question is too important. Does the Prime Minister shirk it?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Prime Minister has asked the representative of the War Office to reply.
§ Mr. GINNELLI have not. I beg to ask the Prime Minister Question No. 53?
§ Mr. GINNELL(subsequently): I desire to ask your ruling, Mr. Speaker, whether, when a Member thinks a question which he has on the Paper is of sufficient importance to get an answer from the Minister to whom it is addressed, that Member is not entitled to have an answer. If he is, under what Standing Order do you deny me that right?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf a question is ad-dressed to a Minister and the Minister has not the information in his office, he naturally asks that Minister who has the information in his office to give the reply. If the hon. Member who asks for the in-formation will not accept it from the Minister who has it in his office, there is no object in repeating the question or putting it down again.
§ Mr. GINNELLMay I ask you further, when the object of the Prime Minister is known to you and to all in the House to be a deliberate shirking of the question, is it not straining the rules of the House to facilitate him in that? Further, if he is not in a position to answer the question to-day, may I ask under what Order you deny me the right of postponing the question until to-morrow for the Prime Minister's convenience?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member declined to accept the answer from the Minister who had the information and was prepared to give the answer. That being so, I have asked the Clerks at the Table not to accept the question again from the hon Member.
§ Mr. GINNELLIs there any means open to a Member of the House to get an 201 answer to a question of that character and in such circumstances? If there is, I desire to know it, and I will pursue it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member had his chance. I gave him two opportunities, and he declined to avail himself of them.
§ Mr. GINNELLIt is not yet a quarter to four o'clock. I will take the answer now.
§ Mr. FORSTERAs the hon. Member was informed on 23rd May, P. H. Pearse neither proposed nor asked for any terms before surrender. This being so, the remainder of the question does not arise.
§ Mr. GINNELLDoes the Prime Minister deny this House and the man he has got shot in cold blood the right of vindication?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the Day.