St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-18
First Session of the Commits
sion Which Will Sift the
Charges.
Both Sides Profess to Be Salts
fed With the Primary
Bout.
The Widest Scope Will Be
Given to the In
quiry.

hONDON, OepU. If.-lHe COMMISSION
appointed by parliament to examine into
the charges made by the Times against
Mr.. Parnell and other Irish members OF
the house of commons opened its first
session at IL o'clock this morning in the
probate court. Owing to the limited
size of the court room, it was impossible
to admit more than select few of the
public. Representatives of the press
occupied the bulk of the space, 200 re.
pOrters. representing provincial, Lon
don and American newspapers, having
obtained tickets of admission. Judges
Hannen, Smith and Day, who com
pose the commission, entered the
court room precisely at II o'clock.
Sir Charles Russell and Herbert Asquit,
Liberal member of parliament for the
Eastern division of Fife, appeared for
the Parnellites. and Mr.. Ruegg watched
the case for O'DOnnell. Judge Hau-
non said the circumstances under which
the commission met were novel. He
stated briefly the scope and nature of
the principles on which the commission
proposed to conduct the inquiry. The
commission, he said, was directed to in
qulre into the report upon charges
made against certain members of the
house of commons and other
persons in connection with the
UDonnell-Times action. The COM
mission held that the inquiry
should be restricted to the charges that
were made the cause of that action.
Parliament also gave them, in addition
. to their specia! powers, all the
high courts of justice. They pro-
posed, in the first instance, to make
the inquiry as though it were an issue
between Mr.. O'Donnell and the Times,
reserving to themselves the power to
call anybody who might be able to
throw light on the issues therein in
volved. The Inquiry would be carried
on insaccordance with the rules of the
ordinary courts. Before proceeding,
Judge Hannen asked Sir Charles
Russell for whom he appeared.
Sir Charles replied that he rep
resented eighty-four s-Irish-y-H -Haeina-
bers of parliament. Mr.. Graham said
he was retained, with Attorney General
Webster, for the Times. Application
was made for permission for the repre-
sentatiOn of Scotland Yard by counsel.
Judge Hannen said he would decide
upon the application if 1t were found
that the inquiry involved the police.
Sir Charles Russell demanded that he
be allowed to inspect the letters and
photographs bearing on the case, and
that the commission issue an order for
the discovery of the document upon the
authority of which some of the Tines
charges were made. He asked that
commission be appointed to take evil
dence in the United States, and that an
order be issued releasing Mr.. Dillon
from Jail, so he may give testimony be-
fore the commission. He wanted
especially to see the Egan-Harris letter,
which he claimed was a forgery. Coun-
sci for the Times agreed to
produce certain letters, but object to
the commission issuing an order
for the discovery of the documents.
Mr.. Parnell entered the court room
while the discussion concerning the
production of the letters was proceed
ing. Sir Charles Russell said he did not
confine his application to two letters.
He wanted to inspect all the letters and
documents referred to in the articles on
.'Parnellism and Crime" Judge Han
nen stated that he had not read them,
and said that counsel must inform the
court what were necessary, so as to
court that one of the many
charges published in the Times
was that certain Parnellite members
of the house of commons were con-
nected with an illegal association, and
were sharerS in the crime of murder.
One alleged proof of this charge was a
letter in which Mr.. Parnell approved of
q fund-meaning an assassination fund.
Judge Hannen said he understood that
the Times would produce all the letters
and documents affecting Mr.. Parnell
and the others against whom it brought
charges. If the parties could not agree
as to the production of the papers, the
commission would deal with the dis
puted points in chambers afterwards.
Mr.. Graham then opened the case for
the Times. After review of the
history of the ''Parnellism and
Crime" articles, he said it was now
asked that the Times should state
whence it had derived its information,
bat if it divulged its sources of inform
might be defeated and its inquisitorial
character lost. Sir Charles Russell here
insisted that the case should not pro-
ceed until the commission decided the
question as to the production of all the
documents in possession of the Times.
The judges adjourned to chambers to
the question. In short time the
returned to the court room
and Judge Hannen asked, assuming the
commission thought they had jurisdic-
tion to order the discovery of the docu-
ments, what restrictions Sir Charles
Russell would claim. Sir Charles
stated that he wanted to know in plain
language if the Times charged Mr.. Par
nell or his associates with completely in
the Phoenix Park murders. Mr.. Gra-
ham replied that the Times would pro-
duce evidence to substantiate all the
charges it had made in its articles on
''Parnellism and Crime"
The commission again retired to delib-
crate. Upon resuming the sitting,
Judge Hannen said that the commission
having considered the question as to |
it was empowered to order the |
discovery of the documents, it was of |
the opinion that it had the power to |
direct such discovery. The commission |
slider what documents it would be right |
for Sir Charles Russell's clients to in |
spect. The court thought that the de- |
tails against the persons the Times ac- |
cused ought to be given. The court had |
determined to enter thoroughly into |
the inquiry and follow it out |
10 the end. Sir Charles Russell |
made application for the release of Mr.. |
Dillon on bail. in order that he might |
appear before the commission. Mr.. |
Graham, for the Times, made no OBJ
lection to the granting of the applica- !
lion. He said that two persons now in |
penal servitude for connection with the |
Phenix Park murders would also have |