§ 19 and 20. Mr. P. MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary (1) whether the Government have taken any steps to compel the surrender of the arms and ammunition held by the Ulster Volunteers; and (2) whether the Ulster Volunteers have been asked by the Government to surrender the arms and ammunition they exported from Germany for the purpose of resisting by force the application of an Act of the Imperial Parliament to Ireland; whether they have surrendered such arms and ammunition; and, if not, what action the Government propose to take in reference thereto?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe Regulation in regard to possessing arms applies to Ulster Volunteers in the same way as to anyone else in Ireland. It will be enforced in Ulster in the same way as in the rest of Ireland, unless the arms are brought in and surrendered.
§ Mr. DILLONCan the right hon. Gentleman state, as a matter of fact, whether any houses have been searched in Ulster, or any arms taken up; and has he any information at his disposal showing that these arms were specially manufactured at Krupp's for the Ulster leaders, and sold at half the cost price?
§ Mr. SHORTTI know nothing about the price or place of manufacture. I think there have been some houses entered in Ulster, but I require notice of that question.
§ Mr. MEEHANWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the question? Have the Ulster Volunteers been asked to surrender their arms, and is he aware that the purposes for which those arms were imported into Ulster was to remit the application to Ireland of an Act passed by this Parliament?
§ Mr. SHORTTI have heard that alleged.
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the right hon. Gentleman answer that part of the question as to whether Ulster Volunteers have been asked to give up their rifles?
§ Mr. SHORTTI have answered that. Yes.
§ Mr. DEVLINNo. Does the right hon. Gentleman state that they have been asked?
§ Mr. SHORTTYes.
§ Mr. DEVLINThen may I ask what answer the right hon. Gentleman has received?
§ Mr. DILLONHas a single rifle been given up?
§ Mr. DEVLINMay I ask what answer the government of Lord French, which is impartially administering the affairs of Ireland, has received from the Ulster Volunteers?
§ Mr. DILLONHe dare not answer.
§ Colonel Sir JAMES CRAIGMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that the War Office were glad to borrow some of these arms, and also whether it is not better to provide against a similar contingency arising in future?
§ Mr. SHORTTXo, Sir; I do not think that.
§ Mr. DEVLINIn view of the declaration that these rifles, instruments of great military utility, these weapons, have been lent to the Government, or offered to the Government, for the purposes of the War Office, will the right hon. Gentleman now ask for all of them?
§ Mr. SHORTTI do not know that they have been lent to the Government. I have already said once that we intend to get them.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLWill you ask the Attorney-General for England where those arms are? Sir Edward Carson will tell you?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would remind hon. Members that there are a good many questions on the Paper to be asked.
§ Mr. P. MEEHANI beg to give notice that I will raise this question on the Adjournment.