New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-17
COLLAPSE or THE COMMISSION.


The Parnell Commission is reduced to the ex-
tremity Of concluding the investigation with
out assistance from the defence. The Irish
members have instructed their counsel to with
draw from the case in consequence of tho
extraordinary ruling of the Judges respecting
the books of the Loyal and Patriotic Union.
Sir Charles Russell and his legal associates have
bowed themselves out of court and their clients
have hardly attempted to conceal their contempt
for the tribunal. The Presiding Justice has
made a heroic endeavor to maintain the dig
nifty of the court by declaring that the scope of
the investigation will not be altered by tho
withdrawal of the defendants; but every one
in England knows that the continuance of the
proceedings will be broad farce. Those Irish
members who have not already testified can re-
peat Mr.. O'Kelly's tactics decline to make any
statement and then submit to cross examina-
ton; and the Attorney General can present
evidence in rebuttal of the defence without
interruption questioning from the other side ;
but this one sided method of establishing the
case of the prosecution will only tend to dis
credit the tribunal Sir Richard Webster, If
he attempts to sum up the evidence when there
is no counsel to reply to him, will be ride
ulous figure; and the Judges will only dieredit
their own functions by laboring to keep up the
pretence of impartiality while listening to en-
parte arguments and evidence.
1t is probable that Mr.. Parnell has been wait
ing impatently for many weeks for con-
venient pretext for leaving court The pro-
tracted legal proceedings had become intoler-
ably rksome to him. and, moreover, the expense
was a source of serious embarrassment to the
Irish party. He had proved that the incrim-
mating letters were Infamous forgeries, and
had vindcated his reputation by exposing inc
creduty and reckleSsness of his defamerS. HIS
main point had been won without reference
to the final verdict of the Judges; yet he had
been kept for months in an attitude OF explain
ing and defending his public conduct. For an
agitator of Mr.. Parnell's aggressive character
stics this was a humiating and wearsome
position. He has longed for release. when
the Judges refused to allow his counsel access
to the books of Mr.. Houston and the Union
although it had been demonstrated that they
had been trafficking with Pigott, the author not
only of the forged letters, but of the " Parnell-
ism and Crime' series, he eagerly seized the
opportunity for which he had anxlously been
looking. 1t was an unj ust and partisan ruling
so markedly in favor Of the prosecution as 10
enable him to withdraw from the case with
dignity. He has left the tribunal under the
imputaton of being an ox-parte council from
which the Irish members cannot hope for an
equitable decision or for fair dealing in pre-
senting their defence.
The withdrawal of the Irish members Writ
ually involves the collapse Of the investigation
The Government bill establishing the Commas
sion was passed by the House OF Commons on
August 8, 1888, by division of 162 to 49,
the parnellites not voting. The Commission
was organized on September II, and the case
for "The London Tines was opened on Octo-
her "a. Ten months have been occupied WITH
testimony and argument, the tribunal oSten-
sibly conducting the inquiry as If it were an
issue of fact between "'The London Times and
the accused members Of Parliament. After
this prot,acted hearing the proceedings are
practically closed by the refusal of the Judges
to permit the defence to expose the conspiracy
nv which self-confessed forger was employed
and handsomely paid by powerful political
organization to defame the Irish members IN
the columns of "The London Times" AS de-
PENDANTS in an ordinary case in the courts they
would have had the legal right to lay bare the
details of such conspiracy. As members OF
Parliament whose regulations had suffered from
systematic and wanton defamation they were
entitled to the privilege Of probing the sources
of "The London Times's' information The
facts Justify their withdrawal from a tribunal
which has shown itself to be strongly and I'M
reasonably biassed against them. After last
Fridays ruling the decision of the Judges VIII
be like the wind whistling in an abandoned
and worn out chimney t1ue.