On this matter that has been raised by the mover of the Motion, and which, it may be well to inform the Dáil, is a Motion for the adjournment—this matter of the policy of the Government in regard to the six North-Eastern counties—I have a great deal of sympathy with the point of view expressed both by the mover and by his supporter, the Deputy from Donegal. I think it would be quite a good thing for this Dáil to appoint a Committee to watch over affairs, and to advise the Government in respect of its policy in regard to the North-Eastern corner. I have been trying to advise that in my little way for the last six, or seven, or eight years, to various people who had to do with the politics of Ireland, because I am very definitely convinced that there is as little appreciation in Dublin and the South of the state of mind, and the habit of thinking, and the point of view of the people in the North as there is in the North of the people in the South. And it is desirable that there should be very much more understanding between people who know the North and people who are only acquainted with the South. But coming to the question that has been raised by my colleague, Deputy O'Shannon, I want to say that our particular interest in raising this matter of the Postal strike here is not to assist from advantage point the Postal workers on strike. I am quite certain they can look after their own interests quite satisfactorily. They decided for themselves without asking any advice, and I am quite sure that they judged with a full knowledge of the risks they were taking and the procedure they were to adopt. They have never, so far as I know given any indication that the procedure would be anything other than lawful, and right, and just, and reasonable, and it is not to fight their battles "on the floor of the House," as used to be said, that we are here raising this question. We recognise, of course, that the Postmaster-General, the employer in this particular case, has the backing the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Defence, and the Government, which is, of course, a privileged position for any employer to be in. But we are here raising the question that we are raising because of its effect upon the general labour movement, because of its effect upon the carpenter, the docker, the shop assistant, and every other worker at any other time. You are laying it down that military can disperse a picket, that military can fire at a picket or over the heads of a picket; that military can use terroristic methods to destroy a body of workers carrying on what I contend to be a legal operation; military called in on the first moment, not to disperse a riotous mob—even then they would have to take the responsibility for any action of theirs which is done illegally to remove by force a peaceful picket. The Minister for Home Affairs tells us that they cannot be peaceful pickets because this is not a trade dispute, and he is willing to accept a verdict on this matter—to accept the verdict of a court of law. Well, I hope some members of the strike picket that is interfered with will prosecute the Postmaster-General or his agent, the soldier or policeman, for assault if such a person is interfered with, and then we shall see who has the law. Whether it is the law or not, and I am not a lawyer, it is the worst of Governmental tactics, immediately a strike is declared, to come to the aid of the employer in a matter of this kind. We are told stories about sabotage, about violence, about threats. If there are guilty persons, why not arrest them, and prosecute them for these crimes, these offences? We are told that there has been firing into Amiens Street Post Office. Did the Minister for Home Affairs never hear of that before? I have heard of raids on the Post Office at Amiens Street, I have heard of seizures of monies from Post Offices many times for the last few months, and those of us who are not heavy sleepers know that the agents of the Ministry, the employees of the Ministry, are engaged nightly in a general chorus of firing into something. But nobody is arrested for these offences; nobody is charged with these offences. But people engaged in a reasonable, quiet, peaceful operation, demonstrating quietly and peaceably before the public the fact that there is a strike, are not arrested for the offence. They are dispersed by force on the orders of the Minister of Home Affairs, he, in the course of a dispute, coming to the assistance of the employer in the dispute with the employee, that employer being the Postmaster-General. I think it perhaps would have been an advisable thing for the Minister for Home Affairs to have had a little more consultation with the Postmaster-General on the legal position of this matter; because, quite inadvertently, I think, the Postmaster-General told the Deputy for County Dublin, Deputy Figgis, that there was a contract between buyer and seller on the question of the service of the Post Office and Telegraphs and Telephones. It was not the power of taxation which enabled the Postmaster-General to charge twopence as against 1½d. elsewhere. It was a contract of service, a business arrangement, a trading arrangement, and these people that are on strike are the servants of the Postmaster-General, carrying on that trading arrangement. It is not a trade dispute! But those people are engaged in selling envelopes, for instance, selling services, doing ordinary work such as a railway company would do or as any private parcel delivery company would do; but it happens to be that the employer in this case has been nominated, and nominated by the Government. However, perhaps that will be the business of a lawyer to discuss, and perhaps we will have the pleasure of hearing the case as drawn up by the Minister for Home Affairs. But I want to lay down very clearly that on the merits of the strike or with the merits of the strike we here, at any rate at this moment, are not concerned; we are very deeply concerned with the policy of the Government acting for this Dáil, with their policy in preventing by force what has come to be recognised as a legal and constitutional operation, even if perchance it turns out that the letter of the law is with the Ministry. I do not think there is very much chance; but, as I said, I am not a lawyer, and the ways of lawyers are like the ways of the Heathen Chinee, peculiar and dark. But in the interests of the common working people in this country, in the interests of the orderly development of the labour movement in this country to prevent the necessity of doing the things that have had to be done in other countries to bring civil rights to the stage they have been brought, it is necessary that there should be a very emphatic protest made against the action olthe Government in declaring these things illegal, which are believed by ninety-nine and nine-tenths per cent. of the workmen of this country to be perfectly legal, right and constitutional. And even if you have the law strictly on your side, it is folly to use it in dispersing a body of men and women who are doing not one tittle of harm to any citizen.