HC Deb 24 March 1920 vol 127 cc407-8
Mr. J. JONES

Can the right hon. Gentleman inform the House as to the discrepancy between the report of the General Commanding in Cork and the report which he gave to the House on Monday?

Mr. MACPHERSON

I do not know that there was any discrepancy. If there was it must have been about the visit of the military. My information was that the military did visit the house.

Mr. MacVEAGH

Did not the right hon. Gentleman say that the military entered the Lord Mayor's house in order to detect or get trace of the murderers, and has not the Commanding Officer in Cork issued a statement flatly contradicting that, because he said that when the military went to the house he was not aware that a murder had taken place, and he was not aware that he was entering a house of mourning.

Mr. MACPHERSON

That may be so. I was asked the question without notice, and my information was that the military did visit the house immediately after the murder, and I therefore assume, as I think I am entitled to do, that they went to the house in the interests of justice to try to find out any trace of the murderers.

Mr. MacVEAGH

Is it not a fact that the Chief Secretary stated in this House, and it is in the OFFICIAL REPORT, that the military visited the house in order to find out any sort of evidence which would help them to trace the murderers? [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear!"] But that is untrue. Did not the right hon. Gentleman also say, in answer to a Labour Member, that the reason that the police did not go upon this police work was that they were afraid the police might be shot? In view of the fact that a gallant officer had been shot that night, and in view of the statement of the General Officer Commanding, is it not perfectly obvious that either the Chief Secretary's statement or the statement of the Chief Officer Commanding is a falsehood?

Mr. MACPHERSON

I have nothing to add to what I said yesterday. The statement I gave then I believed to be true. I told the House quite frankly that I was asked the question without notice. I knew the military had visited the house an hour after the death had taken place. I was asked to justify that visit, and I did it in the only possible inferential way.

Mr. O'CONNOR

I beg to give the right hon. Gentleman notice that on the Consolidated Fund Bill I shall make some remarks with reference to this question.