§ The following question stood on the Paper in the name of Mr. W. O'BRIEN:
§ 29. To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. William S. O'Doherty, clerk in the stores office of the General Post Office, Dublin, who has been arrested and deported to the Stafford Detention Barracks; whether he is aware that Mr. O'Doherty spent his Easter holidays in the South and only arrived in Dublin by the mail train on the evening after the day of the rising; that he arrived at his office next day, signed the attendance book, remained there all day on duty, and returned to his lodgings, where he spent the night; that it was only on his way to his office the next morning when, as a member of the St. John's Ambulance Corps, he stopped to render first aid to a little boy who was shot in the neck that he was arrested; and whether the mistake made in Mr. O'Doherty's case will be at once investigated and steps taken to liberate him and reinstate him in his office?
Mr. O'BRIENI desire to express the sympathy which we all feel for the right hon. Gentleman the Under-Secretary for War in the accident which has befallen his son.
§ Mr. TENNANTAn application for release was received on 26th May, and was investigated, with the result that Mr. O'Doherty was released on 27th May.
§ 33. Mr. GINNELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, in the case of young men arrested in Belfast and deported, though no arms, ammunition, or incriminating documents were found in their possession, the parents and other immediate relatives have repeatedly written letters of inquiry to the military authorities, enclosing stamped and addressed envelopes, but have got no reply; and, as these people believe their sons and brothers are being tortured, whether these and all such prisoners will be allowed to communicate immediately with their relatives?
§ Mr. TENNANTNothing is known respecting this allegation. All prisoners are allowed to receive and send letters. I should be obliged if hon. Members would contradict such wicked and absurd rumours as are suggested in this question.
§ Mr. GINNELLSeeing that these so-called rumours come from the relatives of the prisoners and the prisoners themselves, will the right hon. Gentleman say where he gets his information?
§ Mr. TENNANTFrom sources which I consider somewhat more reliable than those on which the hon. Member relies.
§ Mr. GINNELLFrom the accused persons?
§ 35. Mr. GINNELLasked on whose information or on what grounds Alderman James Nowlan, of Kilkenny, has been arrested and deported; what offence, if any, he has been charged with; where he now is; and when he will be either released or given an opportunity of meeting in a Civil Court any charge that may be made against him?
§ Mr. TENNANTThis man is at present at Wakefield. All such cases are now being investigated as rapidly as possible, and where no hostile association detrimental to the public safety and the defence of the realm is apparent the military authorities will order release.
§ 42. Mr. FLAVINasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Mortimer O'Connor, who is an American citizen, was arrested by the military at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Lovett, on Monday, the 15th May, at Abbeydooney, North Kerry; whether he 2383 will state what charge, if any, has been made against Mortimer O'Connor; whether O'Connor has claimed the protection of the American Consul at Queenstown and the Alaskan Delegate at Washington on the grounds that he is an American citizen, and arrested and detained by the military authorities without any charge being preferred against him or any trial given; and whether his release will be ordered?
§ Mr. TENNANTIt is true that Mr. Mortimer O'Connor was arrested on the day at the hour mentioned. It is not known whether he has claimed the protection of the American Consul at Queenstown or the Alaskan Delegate at Washington. His case is now under investigation.
§ Mr. FLAVINHas the right hon. Gentleman made inquiries? This man, as he knows, telegraphed to the military authorities on the 15th May, but the messages were not allowed to proceed for three days.
§ Mr. TENNANTI have made investigations about these cases, but my hon. Friend must realise it takes some time. There is only a certain amount of machinery available for the purpose and the more complete the investigation the longer it takes.
§ Mr. FLAVINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware there was no disturbance in any shape or form at this place? As the man has been in gaol since the 15th, will he deal with the case at once?
§ Mr. TENNANTI dare say what the hon. Member says is perfectly true, but it does not follow, if there was no disturbance at the place the people were wholly unaffected.
46. Mr. O'BRIENasked the Prime Minister on what charge) Mr. James Kingley, county surveyor of Meath, was arrested and deported to London; whether it is proposed to try him and, if so, where and by what tribunal; and, if not, whether his immediate release will be ordered in view of the testimony of numerous witnesses to his innocence of any connection whatever with the recent outbreak?
§ Mr. TENNANTJames Kingley is charged with taking part in the rebellion. It is proposed to try him before a general court-martial, at Dublin.
47. Mr. O'BRIENasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the recent arrests in the county of Mayo, including those of Mr. Joseph M'Bride, secretary of the Westport Harbour Board, Mr. Darrell Figgis, a literary man of distinction, and a number of young men in Westport and Castlebar; whether in all these cases the charge is really the ex post facto offence of belonging to the organisation of the Irish Volunteers, which was not proclaimed to be illegal until after their arrests; whether the principal ground of suspicion of Mr. M'Bride is that he is a brother of Major M'Bride, who was executed in Dublin; and whether, considering that no insurrectionary disturbance of any kind has taken place in the county of Mayo, he will put an end to the growing public irritation by ordering the release of these young men?
§ Mr. TENNANTAll these cases are being investigated as rapidly as possible. Prisoners are given forms to fill up, upon which the grounds for their release should be plainly stated, and where no hostile association detrimental to the public safety and the defence of the realm is present the military authorities will in every case order their release.
Mr. O'BRIENDo I understand the right hon. Gentleman to admit that there will be no offence in the case of the ex post facto charge of merely belonging to the Irish Volunteers, which is quite as legal as the other unrecognised volunteer associations?
§ Mr TENNANTThat requires a considered answer. I cannot say definitely.
§ Mr. DEVLINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Prime Minister made a declaration last week that mere membership of the Irish Volunteers Association was no reason why a person should be kept in prison?
§ 50. Mr. CREANasked the Prime Minister whether he will state on what charge John Brennan, of Ballinasloe, county Cork, a young man eighteen years old, was arrested on the 8th May; whether this young man was compelled to sleep on a plank bed and given food to eat as if he were a convicted felon; whether Brennan was unable to communicate with his people from the 8th to the 18th of May; and, if no definite charge of a treasonable or criminal nature can be made against him, will he have this young fellow released immediately?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have written to the hon. Member asking him to postpone this question, as I have not been able to get the information.
§ 51. Mr. HUGH LAWasked the Prime Minister whether the case of Joseph Sweeney, a prisoner in Stafford Detention Barracks, in connection with the recent rising in Ireland, has yet been investigated; and whether the military authorities are prepared to release him?
§ Mr. TENNANTThis case is now under investigation.
78. Mr. O'BRIENasked the Under-Secretary for War whether Patrick Carmody, Jeremiah Twomey, James Buckley, William Buckley, Jeremiah Riordan, and his son, Michael Riordan, and two sons of Mr. Denis J. Murphy, R.D.C., were arrested at Millstreet, county Cork, on the 3rd instant and following days; whether most, if not all, of these are detained at present in Wakefield Barracks; whether any definite charges have been made against them, and whether any of them had any connection with the recent rebellion; whether he is aware that Patrick Carmody had built up a business by his own energy and industry, that about a year ago he got a motor van to deliver his bread round the country, and that this van was refused a permit, his petrol commandeered, and himself arrested though he had no connection with the Sinn Fein movement; whether he is aware that the local constabulary have been needlessly provocative and offensive when making searches and arrests; and will those men against whom no charge can be made be immediately released?
§ Mr. TENNANTThese men are detained at Wakefield. They were arrested as having been connected with the recent rebellion. No definite charges have been made. Investigations are in progress, and those whose innocence is established will be released.
§ 57. Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked the Prime Minister when the seven prisoners arrested by the military under the Defence of the Realm Act on suspicion at Manorhamilton, county Leitrim, on the 14th instant, without any charge being preferred against them and now detained in Woking Prison, will be tried or released?
Mr SAMUELOne of these men, Peter Goolgan, has, I am told, already been released, and the cases of the others are being inquired into.
§ Mr. CRUMLEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that some of these men who are now at Woking have not had any charge made against them, and that they never belonged to the Sinn Fein Volunteers, but that some of them belonged to the Nationalist Volunteers?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member should give notice of that question.
§ 79. Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that Maurice J. Collins, who was arrested in Dublin in connection with the rebellion, and is now in Wandsworth Prison, did not use a rifle on the occasion, but only did Red Cross work; and whether this fact will be brought to the notice of the military authorities on his trial, with the view to have him released?
§ Mr. TENNANTIt is not the present intention of the authorities to try this man. His case is now being investigated with a view to release.
§ 63. Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether Maurice J. Collins, who was arrested in Dublin in connection with the rebellion, and is now in Wandsworth Prison, did not use a rifle on the occasion, but only did Red Cross work; and whether this fact will be brought to the notice of the military authorities on his trial, with the view to have him released?
§ Mr. TENNANTA report has just been received from the War Office on these allegations, and if the hon. Member will be good enough to put his question down to me to-morrow I shall be able to give him an answer.