The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-26
WEBSTER WAS MISTAKEN
He FAILED TO TELL OF PIGOTT'S
COMPROMISING LETTER

Sir Charles Russell Compels the At
torney General to AZ AXE the Admis-
sion-The Epistles Had Come upon
the Defense as Complete Surprise
Dishonorable Motives Not Imputed.
LONDON March 25.--In the House of
Commons this afternoon, Sir Charles Rus
sell, who upon arising was loudly cheered,
said he desired to make a statement re-
garding the speech made by Attorney Gen
eral Webster in the House on Friday last.
He read letter which be had
written to Attorney General Web
ster, in which he said that he
did not believe that Attorney General
Webster had been correctly reported. 1t
was absolutely incorrect to say that before
Pigott's examination, or before Pigott fled,
he (Mr. RusselD had received information,
direct or Indirect, to the effect that Plgott
discredited the value of his own testimony.
ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT.
1t was absolutely incorrect to say that he
had either called for or referred 60 letters
conveying such informa ion. Attorney
General Webster, in reply to the speakers
letter, had written that he believed he had
handed such letters to hi n, but that he
would have to refer to his shorthand notes
for confirmation. The attorney general
was mistake in supposing that he had
given him five days before Pigott testified
letters discrediting Pigott'S evidence. The
letters in which Pigotr confessed his fear of
a cross-examination had come upon the
speaker and his colleagues as complete
surprise.
DIDN'T IMPUTE DIsHoNoRABLE MOTIVES.
After Pigott's flight they had repeatedly
made open complaint in court regardi X
the manner IN which the Attorney General
had conducted the lse He did not impute
dishonor BILE motives to the At orney
General, but he thought Attorney General
Webster had been led away by the
political character of the case into a course
of conduc which, on reflection and in less
exciting circumstances, he would not have
pursued. [Cheers.l Continuing, Mr.. Rus
sell said that even when Pigott had
testified he did not get the letters to which
reference had been made although AT or
uev General Webster ffered to produce the
letter of Nov. s. He asked the attorney
general either to admit that he was mis-
taken, or to point out in the official report
any reference to the letter of Nov. Is.
Attorney General Webster admitted that,
relying upon memory, he had erred when
he wrote to Mr.. Russell. He argued that in
any case the matter was unimportant
The attorney general persisted that il
Mr.. Russell had consented to have the let
ter from Mr.. Soames to Pigott read in
court, he (Mr. RusseID would have been in
q p sition to demand the correspondence to
which it referred.
AsQUTTH'S ASSERTION.
Mr. Asquith, who is one of the Parnellite
counsel, followed. He asserted most posi-
lively that neither he nor Mr.. Russell had
ghost or glimmering Of notion that let
ter of Pigott's existed in which he an
nounced that his testimony would be dis
credited.
Sir Harcourt contended that no answer
had been given to his charge that Attorney
General " Webster, knowing PiGott to be q
doubtful witness, had allowed the Times for
two months to repeat its odious charges,
and further had sat silent while Houston
affirmed that he had complete trust in
Pigott, which statement Attorney General
Webster knew to be false.
Attorney General Webster-I have pro-
tested that had no means Of knowning
that Houston's statement was untrue.
CoBwEBs OF ETIQUETTE.
Sir William Harcourt, resuming, said
that an attorney might weave the cobwebs
of miserable professional etiquette about
the matter, but the common sense of the
nation would revolt against keeping alive
to the last moment charges known to be
false, as au act of professional cruelty and
injustice.
Sir Edward Clarke, solicitor general,
spoke in defense of Attorney General Web
ster.
Mr.. Labouchere said that Messrs
Houston, Soames and Webster had all
avoided asking questions concerning
Pigott He attacked the Gladstonian
lawyers who abstained from voting when
the division was taken on Friday.
Mr. Morley said he had not a word to
wlthdr from what he had said in
Fridays debate.
Tho inject was then dropped.
The liberal members of parliament are to
give banquet at her majesty's theater in
honor of Mr.. Parnel. 1t is hoped that Mr..
Gladstone will preside.
A COMPLETE COLLAPSE.
LONDON, March 26, A. M.-The Daily
NetDs, in scathing editorial, saws that the
utter collapse of Attorney General Web
ster's offense is glaringly shown by the fact
that besides the solicitor general, Charles
Hall was the only lawyer who attempted
to support him in the debate in the House
Of Co nmons. 1t is noticeable that the
Standard has no ''leader" on the subject.