Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-10
THE PARNRI.L OOsnFIssIoN.
The Bln Passes the Second Reading ara
q EHnrrr. d..

E2o Eld Passes GhG Second Reading Ara
q Warm Debate
LONDON. July 24.-In the commons to-
night Labouchers resumed debate on the
commission bill. No three judges, he said,
could so well adjudicate these questions as
the house Of commons. The commission
had power to indemnify any rufian who
would criminals himself, provided no was
accommodating enough to incriminate some
one else. it was 3 fishing COM
mission, intended to evads the real
issue to be decided. Egan and
O'Byrne, for instance, could not appear;
yet in their absence the commission was to
investigate their conduct and listen TO
charges. Matthews had said the wide
scope of inquiry might reveal some
undiscovered murder. Did that mean
that the members against whom the
bill is directed were murderOus?
Would the house tolerate these vague in
situations? Never was the efTFonteFy Of
g VeFnment so complete as when they said
the commission was granted at the request
OF the Parnellites. while in the meantime
the gOVeI nment was arranging with the
Times what sort of q commission
should be proposed, and what ought
10 be the scope OF the inquiry. The OppO-
sItlon wanted an inquiry into the conduct
a)Out the murders at Mitchelltown, and
aOOut the murder Of Vaudeville. Cries
Of hear, - "hear.
chamberlain, on arising said he, him
self had formed an opinion of Par
nells character, which would make
him slow 10 accept the charges against him.
The only thing that shook his confidence
was ParRel's reluctance to face the
charges. Cheers and shouts of ''No.''l Ii
trust an English jury to do justice that
he did not 90 before a Dublin
jury. This was an extraordinary judicial
proceeding. If it was restricted it might
be used to held guilty parties How was
PaTnell going to show himself and friends
innocent unless the inquiry inquired into
the relations between persons outside who
were accused Of the crime? The
Isrneliites, Chamberlain added, ought not
To grudge prolonged inquiry to bring out
the truth. He did not believe they thought
the government party to the accusations
of the Times. (Cries of 'Oh, "Oh").
Sir William Vernon HarcOuTt said the
government evaded the question in regard
to these Iertsrs. and tried, under cover Of
an inquiry, to make an attack upon its
political opponents. If Attorney General
Webster believed one single charge he had
tried to fix upon ParneII as counsel of
the Times, it was his duty as
attorney Tor the crown to iudiet Parnell.
The proof that he did not believe the
charges was found in the fact that he had
not advised the government to risk the
prosecution. The attorney general extra
ordinary and unjusbihable course was
entirely contrary to the traditions
OF bar. The real object was to blast the
reputation of the leaders Of the Irish nat
ional party. Was Mr.. Smith prepared to
answer to the charge that he had personal
interview with the proprietor Of the Times
and arranged the charges against
the Parnellites agree to the appointment of
g commission to be worked as subsidiary
agent TO the coercion act? As now framed
the bill was a violation of every form OF
judicial enquiry. thoroughly unfair to the
accused, and it must be amended in com
mittee.
T. NJ. Healey denounced Attorney Gene
eral Webster for making a series of infams
Gus charges and in failing to prove them.
Attorney Webster arising Eaid he was
content to leave his conduct to the judg-
Inent Of those who had experience of him in
his profession. Every step he had taken that
been under consultation with and with the
full concurrence Of Sir Henry James Web
ster denied he mad used Information OBJ
taiAed as counsel of the Times to institute
the prosecution in his official capacity.
Parnell asked if the house was to under
stand that information was put in the
hands of the learned gentlemen (Webster)
as counsel for the Times which is not avail
able for the purposes of public justice.
Webster said this obstruction had ne
bearing on the matter.
The bill passed the second reading with
out division. The committee stage Wa
fixed for Monday.