Evening journal., 1888-07-26

fsctive MODERN ordinance, and tbe sum is
certainly not an exorbitRnt one when the
time Ia which II Is 30 be expended Is taken
into consideration But IL this bill Is not
the best that can be framed on the subject
let ii be amended or better one substituted
in its place and passed.
sxr. Parne;l aud ssthe Government
Philadelphia Ledger.
It is not surprising that Mr.. Parnell OBJ
jectsd to the scheme Of the British ministry
in the matter OF the Commission OF Inquiry
TO deal with the charges and allegations
against him. contained ia the London
Timss's famous articles. entitled "Parnel-
ism and Crime.n It is rather surprising
that he and they ever entertained the Sails
bury BalEour-Smith proposal at all. Both
as to the constitution OF the commission
and the interminable scope Of the inquiry
as proposed. the scheme is extremely OBJ
jectionable, and indeed Is such as Mr.. Par
nell should have rejected at once and in lite
totality. The selection OF its own judges
to try Its own case ror this Ia the minis
try's easel was graphically described when
DiRhhtA h5 al HthciARh w khAOAn VIVA
stacked cards or loaded dice. Mr.. Parneu
should never have given countenance to any
such proposition. The right course. and
in this instance the one entirely proper
course. was Parliamentary Commission
composed OF members OF the House
OF Commons, selected fairly by the Hou sc
according to parliamentary usage provld-
ing for impartial representation satisfac
tory to beth sides. This course was de
manded because the charges and alleRa-
tiona were accusations of crime against
members Of Parliament; because they In
volve not only the privilege and dignity OF
Parliament, but the integrity OF the body
itself; because OF the absolute necessity for
providing tribunal selected In the fAirest
manner. The House OF Commons has
been regarded, time out OF mind, as "the
grand inquest OF the nation and the sole
court OF competent jurisdiction as to it's
own character, powers and privileges. IL
should therefore bs obvious TO any one &C.
quainted with Parliamentary history and
usage, and well disposed towards that i'm
partial justice which oil English speaking
people describe as fair playn-that the
Parliamentary Committee is the one entire
ly proper tribunal, and that the judges or
jury or committee should not be one sided
selections There should be neither packed
jury nor packed commission. Even In the
pettiest court where jury trial prevails the
defendant Ia entitled 10 an equal right
with the prosecution In the selection of the
jury, exercised through the right of chal-
lenge absolute for a limited number-and
unlimited ''challsnge for cause.n This
exists to degree giving rise to the tx
preston that the case OF the defendant Is
tried by "a jury of his own selectioH.
The Salisbury. Balfour-Smith schemes re-
verses this benign provision OF English
law, for 1t proposes TO establish q special
semi judicial tribunal, composed of judges
specially selected by the government, to
try its own special case against certain
members of Parliament. For we repeat
that this Is the governments own case,
though the London Times appears upon
the record as the accuser. What Is
called the government" In England is the
Ministry for the time being; the particular
members OF Parliament selected TO admin
minister the executive departments OF
government by the political party or
coalition OF parties for the time happens TO
have a mBjorlty at its command In the
House OF Commons 1.-THE government In
Great Britain and Ireland Is accurately de-
seribed "ss government by a committee OF
Parliament viz: That particular selec.
tion OF the members Of the House OF Com
Nd nF fka fsF .aeIa san1
for administrative duty and responsibility
by the leader of that political party In
present control OF the ruling majority 10
the Commons House 1.-The governmentn OF
Great Britain, therefore, in it last analysis
is composed by and OF the leader or leaders
OF the dominant party; and in the pnrtlcu
lar instance now under consideration "the
Government is composed by aud Of the
leader or leaders OF the combined Tory and
Unionist parties, against whose cruel policy
in Ireland Mr.. Parnell and his party and
his British allies are arrayed defending an
equal battle. It is the battle OF that Gov
eramsnt against the Irisb cause, as repre-
sented by the Parnell party, that the Lon
don Times is waging, and in this respect
and with regard TO the charges and allie
cations Of the Times against certain mem
beers Of Parliament, "the Government and
the Times are one and the same thing.
Hence the proposal Of the Salisbury
Balfour-Smith ministry to name for them
selves the judges who are to compose the
tribunal which is TO try their own case
against Mr. Parnell is out OF all just order.
II would never have been proposed by a
government disposed to do justice In the
premises. and should never have been en-
tertained, It was an audaciously shame
less proposal That Mr.. Parnell entertained
il at all must be due rather to his know
ledge that the Times letters are forgeries
and to his confidence in his own personal
freedom from completely with the "Crime,
charges than to any admission on his part
that Government" proposal, in any form,
is proper, fair or honest.