Letter to William Edward Thrift, 4 April 1916 Letters 1916-1923

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This is a letter sent to Professor William Edward Thrift. In this letter the writer refers to a libelous comments made in a newspaper about members of Catherine's Parish Church, and notes the involvement of a solicitor. The writer suggests that the measures taken under the Defence of the Realm Act against other newspapers printing seditious material would not be suitable in this case.Thrift (1870-1942) was an academic and politician. He was a fellow of Trinity College Dublin and an Independent TD for Dublin University until the abolition of university representation. In 1922 he announced in the house that he did not apologise for his previous unionism, but recognised that the days of unionism were over, and was fully committed to serving the new political reality. The letter was addressed to Sir Matthew Nathan (1862 - 1939). Nathan was the under-secretary for Ireland from 1914 to 1916. In 1916 Nathan offered his resignation following the outbreak of the Easter Rising.

 National Archives of Ireland Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers, CSO RP/1916/5561/1 https://letters1916.ie/item/176 English 1916-04-04 William Edward Thrift 80 Grosvenor Square, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland Country and City Life Industry and Public Administration

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 4th April, 1916. Dear Sir, with reference to a letter which you were good enough to write on the 29th March on the subject of insinuation contained in a newspaper against some members and the Rector of Catherines Parish Church, I enclose a copy of a communication I have this day sent on the same subject to the Solicitor to the Rev. E. H. Lewis-Crosby who wrote to me officially with regard to it. I need scarcely tell you that suppression in the manner that it has recently been necessary to adopt, for reasons connected with the safety of the realm, against a certain dangerous paper in Dublin would not be a suitable way to deal with a paper charged with criminal libel. Yours faithfully, Wm. E. Thrift, Esq., F.T.C.D., 80, Grosvenor Square, Rathmines, Dublin. 80 Grosvenor Square, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland Letter to William Edward Thrift, 4 April 1916Letter from William Edward Thrift to Sir Matthew Nathan, 29 March 1916Letter from William Edward Thrift to Sir Matthew Nathan, 7 April 1916 William Edward Thrift Letter to William Edward Thrift, 4 April 1916Letter from William Edward Thrift to Sir Matthew Nathan, 29 March 1916Letter from William Edward Thrift to Sir Matthew Nathan, 7 April 1916