Letter from Herbert Samuel to John P. Boland, 1 August 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Herbert Samuel

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A letter from Herbert Louis Samuel, (1870-1963), Home Secretary from January to December 1916, to John Pius Boland (1870-1958), acknowledging Boland’s letter of 24 July 1916, regarding a man called Breen and confirms that this man is not required by the military authorities to do military service.Attached is a copy of the aforementioned letter from Boland stating that he has been informed by police in Caherciveen, County Kerry, that Breen has been interviewed regarding Breen's eligibility to evade military service.Accompanying this correspondence is an initial acknowledgement, dated 26 July, to Boland for his letter of 24 July.Herbert Samuel, liberal politician, served as Home Secretary of the British Government 1916. During the Great War he initiated legislation which offered thousands of Russian refugees a choice between conscription into the British Army, or returning to Russia for military service. Samuel resigned as Home Secretary following Asquith's replacement by David Lloyd George.John Mary Pius Boland was a politician, lawyer, and tennis player, was born on 16 September 1870 at 135 Capel Street, Dublin, the second son of Patrick Boland (1840–1877), a prosperous milling merchant, and his wife Mary Donnelly. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party for South Kerry 1900–1918. Like the other members of the Irish Party, he was taken completely by surprise by the Easter rising in 1916 but continued to hope that a modus vivendi could be forged by the various political groupings in Ireland. He supported his party's opposition to the Conscription Bill in April 1918.

 National Archives of Ireland Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers, CSO RP/1916/5620/13553 https://letters1916.ie/item/575 English Herbert Samuel 1916-08-01T00:00:00 Home Office, London, England John Pius Boland House of Commons, London, England Industry and Public Administration World War I (1914-1918)

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 August, 1916. Referring to your letter of the 24th July in regard to the liability of a young man named Breen to military service I understand on enquiry that the military authorities are not likely to claim him. Yours sincerely, John P. Boland, Esq., M.P. July 24. 1916. Dear Samuel, I have been informed that the police authorities in the Cahirciveen district — I am unable to state whether from Cahirciveen itself or from Waterville or Ballinskelligs — have been interviewing young Breen, son of Eugene Breen, Scariff, presumably to see if he comes under the Conscription Act. In that district there are three Cable stations into which a number of young fellows have passed. Breen was learning telegraphy for some months in London with a view to qualifying for the necessary examination. Clearly therefore he does not in any sense come under the Conscription Act. This action of the police, if, as I assume from what I have been told, it had to do with the Conscription Act, is harassing & not calculated to assuage discontent which as you must know is very rife in that district, & I should be glad if you would take steps to put an end to it. Sincerely Yrs John P. Boland A.n.s. For favour of report A.P.M. 28/7. 26th July, 1916. Dear Sir, I am desired by the Home Secretary to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th instant and to say that it shall receive consideration. Yours faithfully, John P. Boland Esq., M.P. House of Commons, London, England Letter from the Home Office to Joseph Devlin, 26 July 1916Telegram from Alfred Byrne to Mrs. Walter Harris Wilson, 23 May 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to John P. Boland, 1 August 1916Telegram from Alfred Byrne to Frank McNally, 12 July 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to John Redmond, 27 May 1916.Letter from Andrew Philip Magill to Joseph Devlin, 8 August 1916Letter from John P. Boland to Inspector General R.I.C., 11 July 1916Letter from T J Hanna to Nicolas Lamb, 6 July 1916Letter from John French to John Redmond, 15 April 1916Letter from Frongoch to William O'Brien, 14 October 1916Letter from Michael Staines to Alfred Byrne, 11 October 1916 Home Office, London, England Letter from Edward O'Farrell to Sir Ernley Blackwell, 10 June 1916Letter from B.B. Cubitt to the Under-Secretary of State, Home Office, 30 March 1916Letter from the Home Office to Joseph Devlin, 26 July 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to John P. Boland, 1 August 1916Letter from Sir Edward Troup, 26 September 1916Letter from ‘One of the Hard Pressed’ to Mr. Samuel, 28 July 1916Letter from Sir Edward O'Farrell to William Brace, 14 July 1916 Herbert Samuel Letter from John Condon to Herbert Samuel, 17 June 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to John P. Boland, 1 August 1916Letter from ‘One of the Hard Pressed’ to Mr. Samuel, 28 July 1916Letter from Clara Moser to Herbert Samuel, 3 June 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916Letter from J.H. Morgan to Herbert Samuel, 4 August 1916 John Pius Boland Letter from Herbert Samuel to John P. Boland, 1 August 1916Letter from John P. Boland to Inspector General R.I.C., 11 July 1916