The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-11-15
THE BRITISH MINISTER.
Lord Salisbury's History of the Episode
Laid Before the Ministry.


London dispatches Of Nov. 8 bring tn
: official correspondence which Premie
Salisbury furnished the Ministry con
cerning Lord Sacksvile's interference il
American politics and President Cleve
lands slight of Lord Salisbury in hi
haste to bid for the Irish vote. 1t is al
follows "Mr. Phelps, who is staying
at my house, informs me that Mr.. Bay
ards request for your recall IS not baseC
upon the letter to Murchison, but upor
a newspaper interview. l replied that
was glad it was not true that the reques
was due TO the writing of the letter
which was made public only by a be
trayal of confidence, and it was hardly
practicable to lay down the principle
that diplomatic representative should
be prohibited from expressing, even
privately, any oppinion upon events pas
sing in the country to which he is accred
tied. The language Of an interview is
different. You must be taken as having
intended 1t for publication. Before ad.
mitting the need of recall was bound
in justice to you to know exactly what
the alleged objectionable language was
therefore asked Mr.. Phelps for COPY
of the interview In order to ascertain
from ynn whothor you had boon OCCUR
ately reported, :and l told him that
would then bring the matter before my
colleagues. Mr.. Phelps replied that be
had uOt received text of the interview
but would take steps to procure it. 1t
was consequently understood that until
the copy was received there should be
no answer to the request for your
recall"
On October 90 Lord Sacksville sent
the following communication to Lord
Salisbury -
The letter was political Republican
plot. have mailed an explanation.
The plot was due to the approaching
election. If my recall ia demanded l
beg to express deep regret at what has
occurred"
On the 30th Lord Sacksville cabled
that he had received passport.
On the 31st Mr.. Phelps informed Lord
Salisbury that the United States govern
ment had given Lord Sacksvile pass
port, and added that President Cleveland
hoped that another Minister would be
sent to Washington,
On the same day Lord Sacksville sent
the following dispatch to Lord Salisbury:
81 beg to repudiate Mr.. Bayard's state-
ment of the reasons of my dismissal as
an unjnst attack on my integrity.
Lord Salisbury at once sent the follow
ing reply:--
"Place Mr.. Herbert as senior Secre-
tary on the spot in charge of the Le-
CATION"
On November Lord Salisbury in a
communication to Mr.. Phelps referred to
his promis to furnish him with copy
of the SacksvIlle interview and inform
ed him that as he bad no further infor-
nation as to what Lord Sacksville's state
ments contsined, or to whom they were
made, he was unable to form any judg-
ment upon the considerations which die
tated the request for the recall or the
forwarding of passport.
To this, on the next day, Mr.. Phelps
made reply as follow -
"Our recollection of what passed in the
conversation we had on Saturday differs
slightly in one particular, 1t was not
intended that the letter should have no
part in the reasons for the request for
the recall of Lord Sacksville. did cay
that the Minister'S remarks in the pub
lished interview were the principles rea-
son. am still without a copy Of the
interview. have sent to Mr.. Bayard a
copy of Your Lordship's note requestipR
full details of the language and circum-
Stances
"A letter written by Lord Sacksville on
October 26 was received by Lord Sails
bury on the 4th inst. 1t enclosed the
! Mnrnhisnn letter and his reply to it,.
He says 81 have certain information
that the Murchison letter was fictitious,
and was concocted by a well known firm
in CONJUNCTION with the Republican COM
mittee in New York, 1t was sent from
Southern California to prevent suspicion.
Mr.. Bayard, whom l saw today, said be
regretted the incident very much, He
accepted my disclaimer of any thought
or intention to interfere with the domes-
tic policy of the country, He said il
was a campaign trap, but he frankly
told me had been indiscreet, Iexpress-
ed my deep regret and Mr.. Bsyard as
sured me he bore me no Ill will"