HC Deb 01 August 1922 vol 157 cc1240-2
18. Sir CHARLES OMAN

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has protested against the recent attempt of the Provisional Government in Ireland to force compulsory Erse into all official correspondence, in spite of the agreement that Erse and English should be equally permissible, as exemplified in the circular of the Congested Districts Board of 11th July, directing that all official letters instead of beginning Sir and ending Your obedient servant, should be prefaced with the prescribed forms, for a lord a Higherna uasail, for a knight a ridire onóraigh, for a baronet a bharónaigh onóraigh, for a priest a áthair urramaigh, for a Protestant clergyman a dhuine uasail oirmhidinigh, for an ordinary layman a chara, and that letters should end with the words, Is mise, le meas niór, with a supplementary direction that great care must be taken to put in all the accents?

Mr. CHURCHILL

I have seen the document to which the. hon. Member refers, but I am not aware of any argument such as that suggested in the first part of the question, and even if such an agreement existed, I should not feel called upon to protest against the use by Trish Government offices of the Trish equivalents for the purely formal beginnings and endings of their letters. I do not anticipate that Irish Ministers will willingly incur the very great confusion which would inevitably result from the use of Irish for the material parts of their correspondence.

Sir C. OMAN

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the official who sent in this complaint to me, for the purpose of its being brought before the right hon. Gentleman's notice, has been murdered since the letter reached me last Monday?

Mr. CHURCHILL.

That raises a very different matter from the one contained n the question, and I should like to have notice of that.

Sir C. OMAN

Has not the right hon. Gentleman received a note which I sent him, saying that this document was to be returned to me, because it was the last reminiscence of a friend w he has been murdered since it was written to me?

Mr. CHURCHILL

No. I have not received that, but I will make inquiries.

Sir C. OMAN

Will the right hon. Gentleman inquire of his secretary, because it was given to him, in the proper quarter on Friday last?

Mr. CHURCHILL

I will certainly make inquiries. I am surprised that in those circumstances it has not reached me.