Mr. HEALYCan the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House give us any information concerning the Athlone printers who have ceased work? I may mention that the gentleman whose property has been seized has two sons out of three at the front,
Mr. HEALYWe raised this matter twice on Tuesday, and also on the Adjournment of the House. There are 100 men 1644 whose families are almost without bread. Surely it is not too much to ask, in the case of a gentleman whose property was seized without notice, whose two sons are serving at the front, and who is a law-abiding citizen, why the jobbing business portion of his premises should not be allowed to be continued?
§ Mr. DUKEAs I understand it, this paper was seized because of the publication of incitement to sedition and disaffection, which is a very unfortunate course for a law-abiding citizen to take. As far as innocent persons are suffering from that action, I have been in communication with the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in Ireland, and I have every reason to believe that, as soon as it can be done in the interests of public security, some means will be found, subject to proper regulation, under which the jobbing part- of the business will be resumed.
Mr. HEALYI have not said a word about the newspaper, but I would remind the right hon. Gentleman that the London "Globe," which was seized, was allowed to reappear within three days. I have asked him upon what grounds he has discontinued the business premises of a man who has two sons out of three at the front, seeing that the business premises had no connection whatever with the publication of the newspaper?
§ Mr. DUKEI have answered that. It must be understood that it does not follow because a man who publishes sedition in a newspaper has also a job printing press that you can separate the job printing press from the newspaper press.
§ Mr. DUKEWhy not ! There are some parts of Ireland which are habitually flooded with numerous leaflets inciting to sedition.