The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-06-30 00:00:00

SELECT COIIIIIII7EES.

In the course of some conversation initiated by Lord
Clinton with respect to the conditions undgr which
evidence is given before Select Committees of the
Houses of Parliament, Viscount Cranbrook expressed
the opinion that Select Committees should be careful
not to take evidence reflecting upon the character of
individuals unless it was essential to the inquiry, and
that when it was done the individuals concerned should
have an opportunity afforded them of attending and
defending themselves. The subject then dropped.

BILLS ADVANCED.
The Suffragans Nomination Bill, the Companies
Clauses Consolidation Act (1845) Amendment Bill, and
the Distress for Rent (Dublin) Bill were read a second
time; and the Factory and Workshops Act Amendment
(Scotland) Bill passed through committee.
Their lordships rose at a quarter past five o'clock.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.

In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr. W. H. Smith inti-
mated, in answer to Mr. Howorth, that it would be the
duty of the Government shortly to ask the House for
further facilities for the conduct of public business. In
reply to Mr. Anderson, the right hon. gentleman said
there would be every disposition on the part of the
Government to include the case of Scotland within
the scope of the inquiry of the Select Committee on
Small Holdings.
TUE MOTION OF CENSITRE.—GOVERNYRNT VICTORY.

The adjourned debate on Mr. Morley's resolution
condemning the operation and administration of the
Crimes Act in Ireland was resumed by Mr. W.
O'Brien, who vehemently defended the Plan of
Campaign and the action of Mr. Dillon in advocating
it on the Massereene estate, and maintained that the
" plan " had been successful wherever it had been
adopted. The Chief Secretary, in his administration
of the Crimes Act, was, he declared, a beaten and a
broken man. As far as the Irish people were con-
cerned, they stood exactly where they stood at the
beginning; they had confidence in their cause and their
leaders, and confidence in the English people.
Mr. Chaplin rejoiced that the Opposition had at last
ventured to arraign the Government in Parliament in-
stead of trying to blacken their reputation by false
assertions and unscrupulous misrepresentations on plat-
forms throughout the country. The statistics which
had been presented to the House showed that respect
for law was gaining instead of losing ground in Ire-
land, and that under the present Government agrarian
crimes had been reduced to one-fourth of what they
were under Mr. Gladstone's Administration. It was
the Opposition who, by their persistent attempts to
discredit and thwart the Government, were undermin-
ing respect for the law in Ireland.
Mr. Gladstone complained of the systematic refusal
of the Government to furnish the House with accurate
information, which, he said, amounted to an endeavour
to oust the House of Commons from its proper jurisdic-
tion in watching the operation of exceptional laws, and
in making provision wherever circumstances seemed to
require it for the maintenance of the sanctity of private
rights. Declining to discuss over again the "plan of
campaign," on which his own views had been fully ex-
pressed, he proceeded to comment upon the issue of a
proclamation for the purpose of depriving Mr. Dillon
of the right to be tried by a jury, the infliction upon
him of the maximum sentence, and the re-
ouirement that he should wear the prison
dress. Slch acts, he contended, were harsh, cruel,
and mean, and were not calculated to propagate
respect for the law in Ireland. Discussing the
Killeagh case, the right hon gentleman challenged
the Chief Secretary to explain his statement that there
was ample evidence of conspiracy, which was directly
opposed to the facts, and to say whether he intended
to allow the two resident magistrates by whom the pri-
soners were convicted, and whose proceedings be
declared to be as scandalous as anything that occurred
in the days of Judge Jeffreys, to continue to adminster
tle Co.-rcion Act. Ireland at the present moment was
in the bands of the army, the constabulary, and inferior
tribunals of justice ; and no country in that state could
be said to have made the least progress towards a atis-
factory settlement.
The discussion was continued by Mr. Gedge, who
opposed, and Mr. J. E. Ellis, who supported the reso-
lution.

Mr. A. J. Balfour, the earlier portion of whose sr eech
met with such persistent interruption from the Opposi-
tion benches that the Speaker was compelled to inter-
vene, maintained that the Government had used all
diligence in furnishing such information as could pro-
perly be given. With regard to Mr. Dillon, he was

subjected to the ordinary treatment of an ordinary
prisoner for an ordinary offence, and in this the in-
variable practice not only in Ireland, but also in Eng-
land and Scotland, was followed. In the case of
priests convicted under the Crimes Act, they were
subjected to ordinary prison treatment in every respect
save the wearing of prison clothes. With respect
to the Killeagh case, the right hon. gentleman
characterised as scandalous the attack made by Mr.
Gladstone upon the two resident magistrates, and
emphatically replied in the negative to the inquiry
whether he intended to dismiss them. As to the asser-
tion that there was no evidence of conspiracy against
the prisoners, Baron Dowse in his judgment had
declared that there was ample evidence of conspiracy
at common law, and the iniquity of accusations made
against the Government when reduced to the small
residuum of truth which they contained simply
amounted to this, that in the one solitary case
which the Opposition had been able to discover,
certain persons had been convicted of one kind of
conspiracy, when, in fact, they were guilty of
another kind. Upon this slender foundation the
House was asked to pass a vote of censure upon the
Government for the monstrous manner in which
justice was administered in Ireland. In no country in
the world had a Government which had to contend
with organised resistance to the law, with an organised
desire to upset the Government of the country, and
with an organised determination to resist the payment
of just debts, done so with less harshness or less of
anything that would be properly termed failure or mis-
carriage of justice. He admitted with regret that law
was not loved in Ireland, but denied that the present
Government were responsible for that. The experi-
ment which they had initiated to restore law and order
was being carried on under the greatest difficulties,
placed in their way by those who ought to be their
allies; but it had already succeeded beyond their
expectation. Whether the present Government would
be allowed to continue in their course he did not know,
but he was satisfied that only on the foundation of
honesty, liberty, and law could the future of the Irish
people be safely rested.
Mr. Sexton having spoken at considerable length in
support of the motion, the House divided at five
minutes to one o'clock, when the numbers were :
Against the resolution ... ... 366
For the resolution ... ... 273

Majority for the Government ... 93
Th announcement of the numbers was received witli
protracted cheering by the Ministerialists.
The House adjourned at 20 minutes to two. .0—

BOARD OF WORKS INQUIRY.
MR. ROBERTSON OFFERS TO DISCLOSE AI.L.

The Royal Commission on the Metropolitan Board
of Works sat on Tuesday at the Sessions i 101169,
Westminster. The Commissioners are Lord Hersehell
(presiding), Mr. Bosanquet, Q.C., and Mr. Grenfell.
The counsel are—Mr. Meadows White, Q.C., and Mr.
Freeman (for the Metropolitan Board) ; and Mr.
Winch, Q.C., Mr. Grain, and Mr. Studd (for the In-
quiry Committee). Mr. Roger W. Wallace now ap-
peared for Mr. Robertson.
Mr. Meadows White said that after the disclosure
made by Mr. Stimson, the Board ordered a letter to
be sent to all the other auctioneers who had been
employed by the Board asking them if they had ever
made a gratuity or a promise to any official, and if
so, of what nature. The answers received had beat
forwarded to his lordship.
Lord Eel-schen replied that one of the persons in
question had already been summoned, and since the
correspondence had been forwarded others had been
summoned.

Mr. Wallace Said he was instructed to malle an
application on behalf of Mr. T. J. Robertson, who was
examined before the Commission, and at the adjourned
meeting was not in attendance. A letter to his partner
was laid before the Commission, which letter the
learned counsel did not pretend to excuse in any way,
nor did he offer any excuse for Mr. Robertson's con-
duct, except to say that he had been either erroneously
advised or not advised at all. Mr. Robertson said he
had not been in a proper state of health to appreciate
the very great risks he was running, and certainly ho
had not appreciated the powers and duties of this
Commission. He was now very anxious to atone for
what he had done by offering to tender any further
evidence in his power and to answer any questions
that might be put to him. Of course he was bound
to do that, and he (the learned counsel) did not make
this application in Mr. Robertson's own interest, but in
the interests of the inquiry in which the Commis-
sioners were engaged. . . .

Lord Ilerschell: The Commissioners will consider
hereafter what course they will take with regard te
Mr. Robertson. All I can say is, he did not make a
full disclosure, he withdrew himself from the juris-
diction of the Commission, and he only offered to
return and make the disclosure when he found that
it had been made without him. What course the
Commission will adopt will be a subject for considera-
tion.

Mr. Robertson was in court at the opening of the
proceedings.
The principal witnesses for the day were members
of firms of auctioneers, who described the transac-
tions they had had with the Board, and admitted
having given money to Mr. Godd,ard.