Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-24
EUROPE.
Parnellite Prosecutions Con-
tinued.
GLADSTONE IN FOR FAIR PLAY.
Heated Debate in the COmmOns-The.
Kaiser PrOl0ngs His Visit
With the Car.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. !

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.l
LONDON, July 23.-In the Commons to-
day Smith moved the reading of the bill
dealing with the charges and allegations
against Irish members of Parliament.
He said the Government offered Com
mission of Inquiry upon precedents. 1t
rested with the House to say how COM
plete the powers of the Commission
should be. Sir James Hannah would be
present and Justice Day and Smith would
| be the other members of the Commits
sion.
| PARNELL PLEADS FOR FAIR PLAY.
| Parnell said it seemed Smith had
friendly hint from the counsel for the
Times, in consequence OF which the in
quiry was to be extended, not only into
his personal conduct but into the acts of
the League in America, Ireland and
Great Britain. 1t was evident the case
as regards the forged letters was going to
ernment to limit the scope of the
Commission to what originally pro-
posed, namely-the charges against
himself and other Irish members.
Allegations against the League could not
come before the Commission as affecting.
him. They were the most cruel and in
famous charges ever made against pub
lie man. He could demonstrate that the
letters were forgeries. He admitted he
had had communication with John De-
voy, but those communications were
solely in regard to political matters, and
were open to the fullest scrutiny.
He also admitted making speech at En-
mis- in favor OF boycotting. He believed
boycotting did good then, but had ceased
to advocate it after the passage of the
arrears bill of 1882. To make the in
quiry, the judicial government ought to
definitely specify the charges, and also
provide scrutiny of the documents on
which the charges are based. 1t was
OF Importance to the Irish members to
see those documents before the Commits
sion began to sit.
GLADSTONE DENoUNCEs TORY METHODS,
Here there was an expectant pause,
during which cries were raised for the
Attorney General. No member of the
Government responding, Gladstone ex-
pressed surprise that the Government
did not answer Parnell, and declared
there must be an answer. He was not
prepared to give the unqualified conf
dence in the Commission which Smith
appeared to entertain, but was in the
power OF the Government to make a
selection which would have COM
manded warm acclamation from every
body. The Government ought to
make definite charges against definite
persons. There ought to be no
skulking. The letters were really the
only new charges, and Parnell must have
an opportunity to examine them in order
to face the accusations. A more deplor-
able error was never made than when
the Attorney General undertook the con-
duct of the case of the Times. Unless
Parnell's conditions were conceded the
country would be driven to the conclus-
ion that the proposals were made to be
refused.
Matthews, Home Secretary, maintain
ed that whatever Webster had said was
solely in his capacity as counsel for the
Times. The Commission surely could be
trusted to deal impartially.'
TORY PERsIsTENCY,
Matthews argued that the charges we're
inseparab'e. Doubtless when seeking to
inf1ict punishment the charges against
the accused should be the most specific
and defined, but when the object is
limited to the discovery OF the
truth, such defining is unnecessary.
Loud Parnellite laughter.] The present
attitude of the Paruellities caused suspi-
cion that they desired to evade inquiry
or at least hamper and obstruct efforts to
get at the truth. One of the
capital points of the charge was
that the members protesting to carry
on constitutional agitation had
arranged basis Of operations with the
dynamite faction. Would the country
be satisfied if these charges were not
fully probed? The Government thought
not, and could not consent to limit the
inquiry.
Sir Charles Russell said he would pre-
fer action before the most bigoted parti-
san jury in London to trial by tribunal
constituted upon the unfair terms pro-
posed by the Government, the object of
which appeared not to bring guilt home
to individuals, but to discredit party.
After vigorous speech by T. P.
IO'Connor, the Commons adjourned on.
motion of Labouchere.