SIR ROGER CASEMENT (Hansard, 14 March 1961)

§ Mr. Emrys Hughes (South Ayrshire)
I beg to move, That leave to be given to bring in a Bill to provide for the transfer to Ireland of the remains of Sir Roger Casement. I am prompted to take this step, Sir, by the decision of the House on 14th February that leave be given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. C. Pannell) to bring in a Bill to transfer the remains of Timothy John Evans from the prison precincts in which the body now lies.
These are two distinct cases. Timothy John Evans was a very humble person, and a considerable section of public opinion in this country now believes that he was unjustly executed.

§ Mr. Speaker
There must be some limit to discussing the case of Evans while explaining the terms of the hon. Member's Bill.

§ Mr. Hughes
That was all I was going to say.
Sir Roger Casement was executed not for murder, but for high treason. He was a very distinguished person with a long record in the Consular Service, but in 1916 he took the side of the Irish in the Irish War of Liberation. He was captured in Ireland and on 3rd August, 1916, he was executed for the crime of high treason. The words "high treason" roused passion, but the passion which raged so long around the name of Sir Roger Casement has largely died away with the passing of history.
There are many distinguished personalities in the world who, at one time or another, have opposed British rule. In 1198 London, there are now Mr. Nehru, who was in British prisons for seven years, and Dr. Nkrumah, who was in British prisons for a considerable time. We have allowed those facts to be forgotten and in time history places the records of these men in proper perspective.
I do not wish to arouse any passions or old animosities, but many great people, the leaders of countries with whom we are now associated, have been guilty at one time or another of high treason. For example, George Washington, the founder of the United States of America, was not executed for high treason simply because the forces of King George could not capture him; and we are very glad of that nowadays.
There is also a precedent for the transfer of a body of a leader of another nation which has opposed Britain in time of war. For example, Napoleon died on St. Helena, and for nearly a quarter of a century his body remained in St. Helena and then, at the request of the people of France, was transferred to French soil.
This is a similar demand from Ireland, from people who believe that Casement was wrongly executed and that he was an Irish patriot, and this demand continues. For example, every year a procession goes to Pentonville Prison to lay wreaths upon the grave of Sir Roger Casement. I recently visited Pentonville Prison and was told by the Governor that every year a procession of devoted Irishmen goes to the prison, taking a wreath which is laid upon Casement's grave. There is a Casement Committee in Dublin which is presided over by Dr. Mackie, who was a well-known surgeon and physician in Dublin, and that committee is very active in persisting in this demand and in this agitation.
It may be asked why we should not allow this matter to rest. Ought we not to take a rational view about it and say that it does not matter in what part of the world dust lies? That is not the view of the Irish people. The Irish are pious, sentimental and religious and, in a way, romantic. If there is any body of opinion—and I believe that there is—which wants to take the remains of Sir Roger Casement to be buried in Ireland, where there is already a grave and tombstone, forty or fifty years after the event, we should agree to the request.
1199 I do not believe that the granting of this request would start old feuds all over again. It would be regarded as a gesture of reconciliation with Ireland. Let us not forget that there are Irishmen not only in Ireland, but in America, and that an Irishman is President of the United States of America. There are Irish people all over the world who regard Casement as a great patriot. I feel justified in asking that this step should be taken and that leave be given to bring in the Bill.