§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI desire, with the permission of your Lordships, to ask the noble Viscount on the Woolsack whether he has any information to give us with respect to the position of affairs in Ireland.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT BIRKENHEAD)My Lords, I can inform your Lordships of very little that has not appeared in the Press. There is, as I understand, some interference with the telephonic and telegraphic communications, but the sequence of events, shortly stated, is as follows: The Irish rebels, who have maintained themselves low for many weeks in the Four Courts, conceived, apparently, that the result of 1he Elections afforded a convenient opportunity for extending their sphere of influence in Dublin, and accordingly they despatched officers to requisition in the name of the insurgents and of their leader, a motor garage. The Provisional Government were apprised of this attempt, and they sent forces to intercept and defeat it. In the course of that which followed, they arrested the military representative, if I am to use the word, of the insurgent forces. Thereupon, by way of reprisal, the insurgent forces seized a general in the military employment of the Provisional Government, removed him to the Four Courts, and held him as a hostage.
In those circumstances, and after the significant debate which took place in another place a few days ago, the decision was taken by the Provisional Government that what was described by one of its mouthpieces as "the culminating outrage," could not be tolerated. Accordingly, orders were given that an investment of the Four Courts should take place, and that investment—it is called a siege—has now been in progress, as your Lordships know, for a considerable time. The Provisional Government have expressly made it known, and one can understand their point of view, that they prefer that this task should be carried out without any inter- 99 vention at all on the part of British, troops. I myself, for a reason which I have stated with greater particularity in this House on earlier occasions, prefer that this method should be adopted. It may be that before the present sitting of the House is concluded further intelligence will arrive, and I expect it will, and if I have your Lordships' permission, I shall ask leave to interrupt the sitting in order to apprise your Lordships of any information which reaches us.
This, I think, at least is satisfactory: that the Provisional Government have realised the responsibility which lies upon them. They have realised that the result of the Elections recently declared in Ireland has publicly realised upon them the responsibility which we have contended throughout has belonged to them, and has reimposed it with the added and undeniable circumstance, that they have behind them now the overwhelming majority of the population of the south of Ireland. I am not without hopes that as the result of that which has taken place in the last few days we may see some encouragement for the hope that those who plainly represent the majority in the south of Ireland will shrink from no resolution and from no action which may be necessary to make good and enforce that which the people of the south of Ireland has pronounced.
§ LORD SYDENHAMCould the noble and learned Viscount say whether the 18-pounders and the trench mortars which are now being used against the Four Courts have been lent or handed over permanently to the Free State force?
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORI really think the noble Lord has asked a very unimportant question on a very unfortunate occasion. If the Free State are making a serious attempt to do that which every one of us thinks ought to have been done long ago, why need we ask questions which are not relevant?