75. Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Secretary of State for the Colonics whether he is aware that great numbers of loyalists in Southern Ireland have bad their furniture, cattle, sheep, farm utensils, bicycles, motor-cars, and other property stolen by marauding bands without any possibility of recovering them, and have thereby suffered great losses; that, owing to a recent decision of the Irish Courts, those persons have been unable to obtain any compensation for their losses under the Malicious Injuries Acts; and whether, in view of the fact that neither the British Government nor the Irish Provisional Government have for many months past been able to give protection to these British subjects or their property, he will take steps by legislation, if necessary, to provide compensation for their losses?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe: answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. The law in Ireland provides for the payment of compensation in certain circumstances for malicious destruction or injury to property, but it has not been thought proper or necessary to extend this very exceptional remedy to cases of theft, larceny, or temporary dispossession. In any case, the matter is for the Provisional or Free State Government, but, in view of the special and extraordinary circumstances which have prevailed in Southern Ireland during the last few months I shall address them on it.