New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-17

THE CoMMIssIoN-PUBLIC oPlNloN
IN DIR. MACKENzIE's FAVoR-
LORD RosEBERY's TRIBUTE
TO CHAUNCEY DEPEw.
fry CABLE TO TUE TgIDUSEl
copvrtoh; 1855. BY Tie Ne,c York 1r'o""e'
y.nson Oct ,s-Intcrest in the Parnell Com
,,,ssf,n which has never tagged, became still
keener when the public was reminded 'nao 'ne
.-;oI h.o,ns rext week. Yesterday was appointed
80 .ho ao,;r.rv ~ "The Times's' statement OF
,art;culars This document covers nine prlhVeo
e.En raoas and a week seems a short ume 10
.rs,ver all its elaborate specifications hut nc
Times has to open the case. 1t IS eApecV~u "
consume at least q fortnight but Is much ho,e
,ke,v from what is now said, to occupy moh'ii:
M.sn+ime the defence will be provided lor al
those points which may prove TO De ho'eN
Mr parnell. of course has not waited ior 'hese
leral formalities to prepare his case or 10 "'es
what he regards the most important cn"ie. ~.
all the letters. Nothing, in fact couio eAoe.u ',0
confidence with which Mr.. farnei "nu Tt
;sors and friends look forwdrd to the triai ihey
=. not. admit that on the question whether 'no
,ot,.rs are forged or genuine any douoO eAio''
~ ran exist and they expect so 10 oiieoO wv
course of the inquiry that this shaii oe 'io " .
orestion presented TO the public Inc Ooul' n"''' ~
~ course listen to other charges ana aun,. o'n.l
evidence tending to connect MT ra'ne,' WV
- or0,otont evidence be offered what the
uome Rulers intend is to concentrate puono
...ort;on on the letters. If they can prove Vn'"
sssrorias they believe public opinion Will come
.ound to their side, no matter "h"0 oi'
,ored or proved against Mr. Parnen or MS ooi
leagues.
t. ;s no secret that Mr.. Parnel's lawyers oeheVe
they are in a position to convince the OourV 'n''U
neitber Mr.. Parnell nor Mr. Egan ever wroOo
any one of the letters attributed to them. in'S
vii nrove them forgerfes, it is said by conclusive
,-idorca Some people who ought to know go
so far as to say they Will pro'o
who forged them, or some oil 'heii
Fxperts in handwriting will be called on ooon
sides but the public docs no. care much aoouV
experts. Sooner or later " The Times Will have
70 say how it got these letters The wnole
history must come out. If Mr. Walter, the owner
Mr. Macdonald, the manager, and Mr.. Buckle
the editor, are not called as witnesses by thelr
own counsel, they will be called by Mr Parnehs S
counsel They will have TO say privately to
the Court, if not publicly, who sold them the
letters. believe it is now thought on Doth
sides that the actual vendor believed in their
genuineness. Events have taken such turn
that, whatever may have been the case formerly,
ger of assassination, as the Attorney General sup
posed when he opened for the defence in Mr.
O'Donnells action against Mr. Walter.
As for testimony to the handwriting. there are
in London but three experts whose authority is
grcat-Mr Inglis Mr.. Birch of the British
Museum, and Mr.. Netherclift 1t has been sup
posed. that The Times had secured all three.
but it is understood that tlss first two only
were retained. Mr.. Walters friends have all
along argued that he, cautious man of business,
would never have brought the charges he has
against Mr.. Parnell unless supported by the
unanimous opinion of experts and other qualified
advisers. In short, he supposed to have
taken the best advice he could get and all he
could get. But now there seems reason to doubt
whether his case had all this support.
Nor was this great journal fortunate in its first
appearance before the Commission. It's advisers
ought say those learned in law. TO have foreseen
that vital questions would then come up Oues-
tons Of procedure which had been hotlv con-
tested in Parliament were to he settled and the
whole case might turn on question of procedure
Most important Of all was the question whether
The Times should take the position of plaintiff
IL was not Mr.. Walters wish, nor the intention
OF his advisers, that they should. Yet they, as
II were unawares put themselves in the attitude
OF plaintiff before the tribunal met, by taking
out summonses against Mr.. Parncll and others as
defendants. II they had not done that they
might have said 10 the Court when called on :" Oh.
no. We are here out of respect TO the tribunal
We shall be happy to give the Court any assistance
in our power but we do not prosecute" They in
fact attempted TO say this, but the Court held
that they had already gone too far, and ordered
them TO prepare specifications Of their case These
specifications were, l said, delivered yesterday
They may be described as putting into LEGAL form
the charges embodied in Parnellism and Crime,
Regardless Of Sir James Iannens remark that
the Land League movement is not what we are
inquirng into specific charges against the League
are elaborated. Allegations against persons. which
he demanded, are, however, supplied with pro-
fuseness Sixty-ive Irish members of Parliament
are accused, and many other persons with them
All were, 1t is charged, concerned in criminal
conspiracy. Messrs Byrne, Egan, Ford and
Sheridan included among Mr. Parnclrs asso-
ciates in crime
The sanguine views of Mr.. ParnelPs friends
above given are not accepted by The Tines
party. who still maintain that they have a good
case and expect TO discredit Mr.. ParneH with the
English public. They will do their best to prove
the letters genuine, and will prove many other
things Their troubles said to spring from
the number, rather than the scarcity of wit
nesses. They have, however, said little or nothing
since the first meeting Of the Commission, while
others here have said much. Whether for this
or for some other reason, common report will
have it that they are anxious if not discouraged
Still more positively is it asserted that the Minis
try are anxious There have been statements
that the Attorney General is forbidden agoin TO
appear for The Times" Then il was said that
Sir Henry James had declined, fearing the Union
list cause might be compromised by his defeat, and
that no greater man than Mr. Murphy. O. c.. could
be got TO lead for the plaintiffs 1t is, however
certain that both the Attorney General and Cir