§ Mr. Speaker informed the House that he had received the following letter relating to the internment of a Member:—
§ Ministry of Home Affairs,
§ Northern Ireland, Belfast,
§ 18th November, 1922.
§ SIR,
§ I am directed by the Minister of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland to inform you that Mr. Cahir Healy, who, according to a statement in the Press, has been elected as a Member of Parliament for the Tyrone and Fermanagh Division, was interned on 19th June, 1922, and is still so interned.
§ His internment was ordered under Regulation 23D made under the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland), 1922, which is analogous to the internment Regulation made under the Defence of the Realm Consolidation Act, 1914, and to the similar Regulation made under the Restoration of Order in Ireland Act, 1920.
§ I am, Sir,
§ Your obedient servant,
§ S. WATT.
§ The Right Honourable The Speaker,
§ House of Commons,
§ London, S.W.
§ Mr. PRINGLEIn relation to the letter which has just been read from the Chair, I wish to ask when it will be a convenient time to raise any question arising out of it in this House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt depends upon what the question is.
§ Mr. PRINGLEIt is a question of privilege.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf the hon. Member will see me and show ground for a question of privilege, I will see that he has his opportunity.
§ Mr. J. JONESI should like to ask in this connection is there any bar to any candidate being put forward as a Member of Parliament under either the Constitution of the Free State or of the Parliament of Northern Ireland? If a candidate has a right to stand, why, if he is elected, should he be barred in this way from attending?
§ Mr. SPEAKERPerhaps the hon. Member will be good enough to prepare a question on that point.