§ Mr. GWYNNE(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the director of boycott acting under the I.E.A. and occupying official premises in the Four Courts, Dublin, has recently seized the premises of Messrs. Alexander Dickson & Sons, Limited, of 61, Dawson Street, Dublin, and removed all the ledgers, private ledgers, cash books, purchase journals and official receipt books, together with three typewriting machines, 1534 and are now demanding payment of accounts due to the firm, to the extent of £25,000, are also arranging to dispose of the stock-in-trade, estimated to be worth over £20,000, and have notified the firm in writing that as their head branch is situated in Belfast their property has been formally confiscated, and will he state what course this company is to pursue to procure compensation and protection, which is due to members of a company as British subjects and Imperial taxpayers to His Majesty's Treasury?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI have made inquiries into this matter and am informed that the facts are as stated in the question. I understand that the firm have brought the occurrence to the notice of the Provisional Government and have lodged claims for compensation with the Southern and Northern Governments of Ireland. His Majesty's Government is pressing the consideration of this case upon the Provisional Government.
§ Mr. GWYNNEHow long are the Government going to remain passive onlookers whilst British citizens are murdered and British property is stolen?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would point out that there are Governments in both parts of Ireland. [An HON. MEMBER: "Not comparable!"] Two Acts of Parliament have been passed conferring responsibility, one to the Government of Northern Ireland and the other to the Provisional Government of Southern Ireland, and we cannot have continual Debates, except on a proper Motion, as to what we have already done.
§ Mr. GWYNNEAre we to understand that the effect of passing the Free State Act has been to give British citizens residing in Ireland less protection than in foreign countries?
§ Mr. GRITTENBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers that question, may I ask whether his answers to all these questions mean that the Government have jettisoned the national honour, good faith and humanity as a result of the Act?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member gives his own opinion.
§ Sir HENRY CRAIKMay I ask, Mr. Speaker, whether we are to infer, from your conception of the present position, that the confirmation of the agreement with certain leaders in Ireland establishing a Constitution, is comparable with, and on the same footing as, the Constitution in Northern Ireland?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI have been dealing only with what is a fact. If the right hon. Gentleman will read the Act, and the Orders in Council properly issued under the Act, there he will find the answer to the question.
§ Sir H. CRAIKWith all respect, did not the Act defer the confirmation of the Constitution to a subsequent Bill to be laid before Parliament, and it is only after that subsequent Bill is passed that any Constitution the least comparable with that established by Act of Parliament in Northern Ireland can be said to exist in Southern Ireland?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman is perfectly correct on the point of the Constitution. What I was speaking of was the responsibility. If he will look at the Act, and particularly at the Orders in Council under the Act, he will see that the transfer is complete.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILThis seems to be a very important Constitutional question. May I put this to you, Sir? Under the Act we passed, powers were given to the Government to issue certain Orders in Council, and, if I recollect rightly, they have power, by subsequent Orders in Council, to vary those Orders in Council. Therefore, does not the Government still have under its administrative jurisdiction control of the state of things in Southern Ireland, and are they not, therefore, responsible to Parliament for the way they execute that?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think they had responsibility up to the 31st March. If the right hon. and learned Member will look at the Act, and the Orders in Council which necessarily followed upon the Act, he will see that what I have stated is quite correct.
§ Lord R. CECILI am afraid I did not make my point clear. My point was that the Government have the right, under the Act, to issue fresh Orders in Council to modify the Orders in Council they have 1536 issued. Therefore, administratively they are still in control of the situation in Southern Ireland.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI doubt that very much. I doubt whether the Government could recall the Orders in Council.
§ Mr. INSKIPOn a point of Order. May I ask whether the result of your ruling is that the state of Ireland may be as bad as it is possible to conceive, but it will not be open to hon. Members to ask a question as to whether the Government are going to intervene?
Mr. J. JONESBefore you answer that question, Sir, I want to ask whether the same conditions apply to the Northern Parliament as are now being suggested to apply to the Southern Parliament?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe House will recollect that for several months I was pressed continually by Members on events happening, in Northern Ireland—in Belfast. All I am doing is to apply exactly the same treatment to the one as to the other.
§ Mr. DEVLINIs it not much more competent for this House to discuss the affairs of Northern Ireland than of Southern Ireland, because this Parliament still controls many of the services in Northern Ireland, and Members come here?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is so. In so far as there is a difference between Northern and Southern Ireland, the transfer is more complete in the case of Southern Ireland than it has been in the case of Northern Ireland.