§ 2. Mr. GINNELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has furnished to the American Ambassador a full Report of the trial by secret court-martial, contrary to Statute, together with the evidence in the case of Dermod (Anglicé Jeremiah) Lynch, an American citizen, a surrendered prisoner of war in Dublin last May; of the sentence of death, commuted to twenty years' penal servitude; of the fact that the sole witness against him was a British officer whose life Lynch had saved by imprisoning him in the Post Office; and of the manner of identification; and if he will inform the House of any communications received from the American Government on the form of trial, the denial of facilities for defence, the character of the evidence, the name of the witness, or otherwise with reference to this case?
§ The MINISTER of BLOCKADE (Lord Robert Cecil)A request received from the United States Ambassador for information regarding the trial of Jeremiah Lynch was duly complied with.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the Noble Lord supply the Ambassador with this information when it is applied for?
§ Lord R. CECILThe request for information was duly complied with.
§ 9. Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether he will arrange for a referendum of the Irish people to decide whether 1446 it is with their consent or at their desire that a state of military rule has been imposed in that country?
§ Mr. DUKEThe state of military rule to which the hon. Member refers is, I assume, the enforcement of the Defence of the Realm Acts and Regulations No referendum is provided for in the Acts; and I do not propose to ask for any modification of them in this respect.
§ Mr. LYNCHWill the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his reply and submit that reconsideration to the Cabinet, because such a reply puts him out of court?
§ 60. Mr. GINNELLasked the Home Secretary if he will state the offence for which Frank Drennan is now undergoing a sentence of twenty years' penal servitude, reduced to ten; the witnesses against him; why the alibi which applied to him and another charged with him was effective in the latter case and disallowed in Drennan's; whether the trial was secret and the rights of civil trial and defence denied; and whether he will produce a full Report of the proceedings in this trial?
§ 62. Mr. GINNELLasked the Home Secretary if he will specify the alleged offence for which Peter Doyle, of Inchi-core, is now undergoing a sentence of ten years' penal servitude, in view of the facts that this man did not fight in the insurrection, being physically incapable of fighting, and that his activity was confined to cooking; and, if these two facts are confirmed on inquiry, whether Doyle will be released?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Macpherson)I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him yesterday.
§ Mr. GINNELLThis contemptuous method will not do. Will the hon. Gentleman answer the last clause of Question 60?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI can add nothing to the answer I have given.
§ Mr. GINNELLYou are an impertinent Minister !
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has no right to make a statement of that kind.
§ Mr. GINNELLMay I ask whether he is not an impudent Minister?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat adjective is equally offensive, and is not one which is permitted.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI must ask the hon. Member (Mr. Ginnell) to withdraw the expression used by him.
§ Mr. GINNELLIf you rule that it is incorrect I will withdraw it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member can substitute the word "incorrect."
§ Mr. SPEAKERI must ask the hon. Member to withdraw the expression.
§ Mr. GINNELLAll right, I withdraw it, and substitute "incorrect."
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere is no point of Order; it has been disposed of.
§ 61. Mr. GINNELLasked the Home Secretary, in view of the length and increased cost of the journey from Ireland to Lewes and only half an hour allowed for visiting the Irish political prisoners there, whether he will extend the time for visiting or transfer the men to some prison in Ireland; whether he will rectify the apparent oversight by which the hard labour prisoners, in for the same cause, are still separated from the penal servitude prisoners; when and how he proposes to redeem the pledge given by his predecessor that the Countess Markievicz, in penal servitude for the same cause, should participate in the amelioration of condition accorded to the male prisoners; whether he is aware of the effect on this lady's nerves of having been kept in the prison at which her friends were being executed and within hearing of the signals and of the shots: and whether he will allow her to be visited now by her Dublin doctor acquainted with her health before her imprisonment?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir George Cave)The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; and to the second that it is the rule not 1448 to allow hard labour prisoners to associate with penal servitude prisoners. As to the third, I would refer the hon. Member to the written reply which I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for the Dublin Harbour Division. As to the fourth, this prisoner receives all necessary medical attention from the medical staff of the prison.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether he will allow this lady to be examined by her own Dublin physician?
§ Sir G. CAVEI do not think it is necessary. There is no question as to her health. She has full attention from the medical officer there.