§ 68. Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary whether the Southern Parliament of Ireland has been summoned by Proclamation for the 28th June; whether he is aware that more than half the elected representatives belonging to that Assembly are either in prison or on the run from Government agents; whether the Act setting up the Southern Parliament provides that, unless half the elected representatives comply with specified formalities and take their seats on the convocation of this Parliament, Crown Colony government will be substituted; whether, as the action of the Government in detaining in prison and otherwise inhibiting the majority of the Members elected to the Southern Parliament precludes the possibility of its meeting in accordance with 1530 the provisions of the Government of Ireland Act, he will take steps to revoke the Proclamation summoning the Southern Parliament; and, if not, what action the Government propose to take in the circumstances?
§ Mr. HENRYMy right hon. Friend is in Ireland to-day, and the question raised by the hon. Member is now being considered by him on the spot. The hon. Member can rest assured that the arrangements for the meeting of the Southern Parliament will be communicated to this House without delay, and that the aspect of the case put forward by the hon. Member has not been lost sight of by His Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. DEVLINDoes the right hon. Gentleman seriously tell the House and the country that they intend to summon a Parliament to meet, half of the Members of which are either in prison or being hounded by the Government, and is he going to call a Parliament together with the Senators elected by the peers refusing to act, and will he tell the House and the country when we shall have an end of this tragic farce?
§ Mr. HENRYIf any of the Gentlemen who are in prison through their own fault, and not that of the Government, will communicate to my right hon. Friend (the Chief Secretary) their wish to attend, I am sure he will make arrangements to enable them to do so.
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the right hon. Gentleman tell the House the steps he proposes to take to deal with the Senators of this Parliament who have absolutely declined to go there, and have so stated it to him, to the Prime Minister, and to all his other right hon. Friends.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERIs it not a fact that the gentlemen who have been elected to the Southern Senate have only said that they will not go to Parliament if the Members of the Lower House do not go there?
§ Mr. DEVLINWould you like to go?