HC Deb 21 March 1918 vol 104 cc1173-8
Mr. McKEAN

I rise to perform a most unpleasant duty—a duty forced upon me in self-defence by an absolutely wanton and unprovoked attack that has been made upon me by a Member of this House. I rise for the purpose of asking the Leader of the House to appoint a Committee of Members to investigate a charge which I feel it my duty to bring against the Member for South Tipperary (Mr. Cullinan)—one of negotiating to sell his vote in connection with a measure affecting the liquor trade in Ireland during its passage into law, on which occasion the Member for South Tipperary wanted £10 more for his vote than the paymasters for the trade were prepared to give.

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Gentleman; I understand, desires to move that a Committee be appointed?

Mr. McKEAN

I am going to ask the Leader of the House to appoint a Committee of Members to investigate the charge that I now make.

Mr. SPEAKER

That must be done by a Motion, of which notice must be given.

Mr. McKEAN

Then, Mr. Speaker, can I make a personal explanation, the same as was made by the right hon. Member for East Bristol (Sir C. Hobhouse), and the hon. Member for Blackburn (Sir H. Norman), a few days ago?

Mr. SPEAKER

If the hon. Member wishes to make a personal explanation as to his own position in respect of any charge which may have been brought against him in his action as a Member of the House, he is entitled to do so.

Mr. McKEAN

The facts are on all fours, as I understand the matter, with the facts in the case as between the right hon. Member for East Bristol and Mr. Godfrey Isaacs. I must repeat that it is with the greatest reluctance I bring anything at all of a personal character before this House.

Mr. JOHN O'CONNOR

On a point of Order. I desire, Sir, to ask your ruling as to whether the hon. Member, who has now engaged the attention of the House, is in order in bringing a charge against an absent Member of the House, to whom he has given no notice, for having exercised his right in a debate in a local governing body in Ireland, where he referred in the mildest possible terms to the conduct of that hon. Gentleman?

Mr. SPEAKER

If any hon. Member desires to make, some personal explanation in respect of charges made against him as to his conduct as a Member of the House, wherever the charges may have been made, he is entitled to give an answer here. I do not know anything of the facts in this case.

Mr. McKEAN

The statement just made by the hon. Member, that I gave no notice, shows exactly the kind of statement made by certain hon. Members. I have given due notice to the Member involved in this matter—ample notice.

Mr. O'CONNOR

I must contradict that absolutely. I am well advised of what I implied by my interference a while ago. The hon. Member has not given the hon. Member for South Tipperary—

Mr. McKEAN

I have!

Mr. O'CONNOR

— any notice that he would bring the matter forward to-day.

Mr. McKEAN

I gave him notice that I would bring the matter forward yesterday. I have given the Member for South Tipperary one day's grace. This is a matter concerning the honour of this House. I hereby formally charge this Member with trying to sell his vote on an occasion that I can specify.

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member is not entitled to bring charges against other people. He can come here and exculpate himself, but he is not entitled to make charges against others.

Mr. McKEAN

I am not here to exculpate myself. The word "exculpate" applies the idea of having committed some fault. I have committed no fault. The statements made about me by the Member for South Tipperary are absolutely false. [HON. MEMBERS: "What are they?"] I am going to state them. I have not got an opportunity of stating them yet. I will read the report in reference to which the statements to which I object were made. I have here a copy of the "Freeman's Journal," of the 27th of February last, in which the statements are reported. A resolution was brought forward at a meeting of the South Tipperary County Council, and I will read part of it, and it will make hon. Members understand. [Hon. Members: "Read the whole of it!"] Very well, I will read the whole of it. At that meeting the following resolution, was proposed by Mr. Keating, and seconded by Mr. O'Dwyer: That we emphatically protest against any Power offering insult to the head of the Catholic Church and condemn the hypocritical attitude of the British Government towards the Holy See in appointing a diplomatic representative to the Vatican and at the same time secretly conspiring with other Powers to keep the Pope out of all negotiations concerning the peace of Europe, and that we call attention to the slavishness of the Irish party in abstaining from the House of Commons when the Motion by Mr. McKean was brought forward in connection with this matter. Since the party allied itself with Sir Edward, Carson—

Sir E. CARSON

Will I be allowed to make a personal explanation?

Mr. McKEAN

It continues: better could not be expected from those men who have ceased to represent Ireland.'' The Member for South Tipperary was present on the occasion, and made a statement. I will only read that part of the statement which refers to myself. He said: It should be known that. Mr. McKean is not a member of the Irish party.—

Mr. O'CONNOR

Hear, hear.

Mr. McKEAN

Mr. McKean does not want and did not want to be a member of the Irish party. The late Leader of the Irish party offered to me to be brought back into the party, but I never accepted the invitation—novel! I preferred to be outside the party— It should be known that he is not a member of the Irish party, and that he has been removed from the Irish party. To say that a person has been removed from a party—

Mr. O'CONNOR

May I ask that the hon. Member reads the whole of the speech; it is not in order to read only half of a document?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member should read that part of the document which he considers is a charge against his personal honour. I would invite him to approach that aspect of the matter, and not to waste the time of the House with irrelevancies.

4.0 P.M.

Mr. McKEAN

I was just going to do that. The hon. Member asks me to read the whole of the speech. I will proceed to do what you are necessarily suggesting to me. I was going to read that part of the speech which refers to me alone and to which I object. It is absolutely false and unfounded. I read the part of the speech to which the hon. Member said that I was removed from the Irish party. I never was removed from the Irish party, and when you say that a Member is removed from a party you imply something worse. It is not for a trivial cause that a member is removed from a party, and so there is a serious implication in this. There is not a shadow of foundation for the allegation made by the hon. Member for South Tipperary. Not only was I not removed from the Irish party, but there never was a Motion or a suggestion to that effect—never! He went on to make some other remarks in reference to myself. He said We are nut to be brought at the tail of that man. He is the first member, even of that party, who ever expressed himself publicly, or, so far as I know, privately, in those terms. Another member of the same party was heckled in the same way at a meeting of the Catholic Literary Institute of the University of Liverpool. He did not take up this attitude with regard to me. He only said, "Why were you not present when Mr. McKean's Motion was brought before the House? To show you how the opinions of the Member for South Tipperary are not shared by other members of the party, I will read very briefly what this other Member said: There were scores of Irish Members in the precincts of the House, but they had no idea that Mr. McKean was talking about the Papacy… He for one would have supported… Neither English nor Irish Catholics were informed by Mr. McKean that lie intended to raise the question. I read this to show that this member of the party does not share the opinion of the hon. Member for South Tipperary, namely, that no member of the party would co-operate with me. I do not propose to let this matter rest there, and, in order that I may be strengthened to take further proceedings against this man for the charges ho has made against me, and, as I said before, as the character and honour of this House is at stake—[Laughter]— well, if when I charge a man with selling his vote for money, is not that a charge against the honour of the House?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member is not entitled to take up the time of the House in making charges against another hon. Member. He can protect himself by saying that the statements made by the hon. Member for South Tipperary are not in accordance with the facts.

Mr. McKEAN

Do you rule that when one Member here—I do not do this thing gratuitously; I do not bring forward this charge except in self-defence—do you rule, Mr. Speaker, that when it is alleged that a Member of this House offered his vote for sale it ought not to be inquired into? Do you rule that, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. SPEAKER

I do. The hon. Member is himself making, not answering a charge. We will go on to the next business.

Mr. McKEAN

Will you allow mo just to finish?

Mr. SPEAKER

Order, order: I have given the hon. Member every opportunity. He must not delay the business of the House any further.