§ Sir WILLIAM DAVISON(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the House of Commons would be prepared at a single sitting to give him whatever powers may be necessary to stamp out the atrocious murder campaign in Ireland under which fourteen British officers and civilians were yesterday foully done to death in Dublin, and will he take immediate steps to introduce any necessary legislation to enable persons found in possession of arms or ammunition without a permit in any disturbed area in Ireland to be shot?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI appreciate the view and desire of my hon. Friend, and share with him the horror we all feel about the cold-blooded murder of unarmed British officers by assassins in Dublin yesterday. The Government are resolved to suppress the murder conspiracy in Ireland We always realised that, to stamp out such a carefully organised and highly-subsidised plot would take time, but we are convinced, in spite of recent outbreaks, that the Irish authorities are gradually succeeding in 39 their gallant efforts to break up the gang of assassins who have been terrorising Ireland. Should, however, experience show that the powers with which the Irish Government are equipped prove insufficient for that purpose, they will have no hesitation in asking Parliament for such further authority as may be necessary to achieve that end".
§ 4.0 P.M.
§ Mr. DEVLINMay I ask the Prime Minister why it is, when a question is put to himself and the Chief Secretary to recite all the horrible occurrences that have taken place last Sunday in Dublin, that we have heard nothing about the appearance of the military forces at a football match. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh, oh!"] At which ten people were killed. [HON. MEMBERS: "Sit down!"] I will not sit down. I want to know from the Prime Minister why the House of Commons has not been made acquainted, in the recital of these other things that have occurred, with the onrush of the military into a football field, with fifteen thousand people, indiscriminate shooting, and ten men killed. Why was the House not told that when the other story was being told? May I ask for an answer?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI was never asked that question referred to by the hon. Member, but I am prepared to answer it now.
§ Mr. DEVLINrose to put further supplementary questions, amid loud shouts of "Sit down!"
§ Grave disorder having arisen, MR. SPEAKER suspended the Sitting under Standing Order No. 21.
§ Sitting suspended at Five minutes after Four o'clock, the public galleries being also temporarily closed.
§ Mr. SPEAKERresumed the Chair, at Twenty minutes after Four o'clock.
§ Major MOLSONI wish to apologise to the hon. Member for the Falls Division (Mr. Devlin), to you Mr. Speaker, and to the House. I am afraid that I allowed my feelings to get the better of myself, and I forgot myself.
§ Mr. DEVLINI should like to accept the apology which has been given by the hon. Gentleman, and I can assure him 40 that in this, or in any matters affecting me in this House, I have not the slightest personal feeling, nor do I propose to have any personal feeling in regard to this question further than to forget it. I think, however, that I am entitled to say that when I rose my complaint was not against the hon. Gentleman, but against what I think is a growing practice in this House of hon. Members taking out of your hands, Mr. Speaker, the question of "order in relation to questions and supplementary questions. I may respectfully point out that you, Sir, are not only the Speaker of this House, but you are the custodian of the rights of minorities in this House. We, as a minority in this House, consistent with Parliamentary Order, demand protection from the attempts that are made to howl us down when we are asking legitimate questions. When you, Sir, declare that questions are not of an orderly character I always resume my seat. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh, oh!" and "Hear, hear!"] Yes, I do.
The question I put was, I think, a perfectly legitimate question arising out of the answer given by the right hon. Gentleman, the Chief Secretary for Ireland. It was this: Why was it that he did not recite all the incidents that took place in Dublin and tell the whole story and not part of the story? He said that the reason that he did not answer it was because the question was not specifically put to him. My hon. Friend the Member for the Scotland Division of Liverpool (Mr. T. P. O'Connor) sent a notice to the right hon. Gentleman, I think, on Sunday, which must have reached him yesterday morning, that it was his intention to ask him to state to the House all the incidents of this character that had occurred in Ireland during the week-end. That was sufficient notice to the right hon. Gentleman, and the right hon. Gentleman not having given that part of the story which recorded the murder of ten or fifteen civilians, I was entitled as a Member representing Ireland to ask that not a section of the story, but the whole story, should be told. Therefore, I rise now to ask the right hon. Gentleman to tell us the story.
§ Major-General Sir NEWTON MOOREI gave notice of a question to the Chief Secretary for Ireland, namely, Do the Government realise that the friends and relatives of these gallant officers and men 41 who were carrying out duties which had been imposed upon them to uphold law, and to protect citizens and administer justice in Ireland, are greatly concerned at the apparant lack of necessary safe guards which allows the perpetration of such horrible and ghastly crimes as the murder of fourteen officers, in some cases in the presence of their wives—
§ Mr. MacVEAGHWhat about civilians?
§ Sir N. MOORE—and whether some assurance will be given that no effort will be spared by the Government in taking the most effective means to prevent such terrible occurrences?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has not sent me a copy of this question, but the subject matter of the question has already been asked and replied to.
§ Sir HAMAR GREENWOODIn regard to the supplementary question mentioned by the hon. Member for the Falls Division (Mr. Devlin) I have received no specific notice of it, but I am always glad to answer questions, and I shall answer that. This is the answer from Dublin—
The authorities had reason to believe that Sinn Fein gunmen came into Dublin on Sunday under the guise of attending a hurling match between Dublin and Tippcrary, but really to carry out the Sunday morning's murders. A mixed force of military, Royal Irish Constabulary, police, etc., therefore surrounded the playing fields at Crow Park on Sunday afternoon to search for arms, etc. This force was fired upon and they fired back, killing 10 and wounding others. About 3,000 men were searched. Thirty revolvers and other firearms were found on the field. I regret to say that a woman and a man were crushed to death in the crowd.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs that the total casualty list?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODTen killed, a number wounded and a man and woman crushed to death in the crowd.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that there was any discretion shown by his officers in attempting to search a crowd of 16,000 people?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThree thousand men were searched. As to the total crowd on the ground I have no information.
§ Mr. DEVLINWas there a single incriminatory document found on any of the 3,000 people searched? [HON. MEMBERS: "Revolvers!"]
§ Lieut.-Colonel CROFTI gave notice of a question by Private Notice, which was not answered. I now beg to give notice that I shall not persist in asking that question to-day, but I shall ask to be permitted to put it to-morrow. The question was in regard to the possible remedies, in order to prevent a continuation of this terrible situation in Ireland.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHI gave Private Notice to the Home Secretary of a question which I addressed to him, but, as I arrived at the House only a few moments ago, I had not had the opportunity of giving notice to you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to ask the Home Secretary whether any steps have been taken by his Department to prevent—
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think the hon. Member ought to submit the question to me. The Standing Order provides for that.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHI explained the circumstances under which I was unable to submit the question to you.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Standing Order makes no provision for that.
§ Sir W. DAVISONDoes not the fact that 30 revolvers were found scattered over this football field impress upon the right hon. Gentleman the extreme urgency of getting hold of the arms as the crux of the whole question?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYUlster!
§ Sir W. DAVISONWherever they are. If the right hon. Gentleman has not power to do it by proclaiming martial law, should not legislation be introduced immediately to enable these arms to be taken?
§ Mr. MacVEAGHBegin with Carson—he began.
§ Sir E. CARSONYou are a liar!
§ Mr. MacVEAGHI presume, Mr. Speaker, that you heard the observation made by the right hon. Member for the Duncairn Division—"You are a liar!" [HON. MEMBERS: "And the provocation given."]
§ Mr. SPEAKERI did not hear it. I was speaking myself at the moment.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHAs the observation was heard by three-fourths of the Mem 43 bers of this House, and now that you are informed of the use of that observation, I ask you if it was in Order?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not know in reply to what observation it was made, but whatever the statement may have been upon which the observation was made in reply, it is not a Parliamentary expression and it should not be used in this House. I do not even know who made it.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHThe right hon. Member for the Duncairn Division.