St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-12
The Eloquent British Orator
Scores Lord Salisbury and
His Followers.
Base Methods Adopted to
Blacken the Characters
Of ParnelIites.
By Whipping in It's Heneh-
men the Government Is
Sustained.
The Commons Finally Adopt
the Report Of the Parnell
Commission.

COmm1SSlOns
LONDON, March 11.-In the house Of
commons this evening Lord Randolph
Churchill resumed the debate on the re-
port Of the Parnell commission. He
said that from the inception of the COM
MISSION he had watched the proceed
ings with feelings of sorrow and appre-
hensiOn, which had grown deeper and
stronger as the proceedings developed.
From beginning to end these proceed
ings were vitiated by their thoroughly
unconstitutional character. When the
government decided TO set aside the Or
dinary tribunals it must have held that
the charges against the ParneIlites con-
stituted pIima facie case against the
accused. When government held
that there was prima facie case
it was its duty to prosecute GRIM
inally. If there was prima
tacie case to Justify an extraordinary
tribunal, a fOTtiOri was there prima
facle case to proceed by criminal pros
ecutiOn. In the first place, the govern
ment in order to ascertain the truth Of
"
opponents. discarded and set aside the
ordinary law of the land. Secondly.
the government constituted under a
special act commission consisting of
three judges to fulfill the functions of
Judge and jury, for the purpose Of try
ing
A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.
1t decided to place political opponents
on trial on criminal charges without the
protection which a jury would give.
Thirdly, the government nominated the
tribunal so the accused, unlike the
meanest criminal. would have no voice in
selecting ana challenging the jury. If
it was argued that the commission was
a court of arbitration. where, in the
whole history of arbitration, was one
party to a suit left vOIcelesS in the Sc
lection of the arbitrators. FOurthly, the
government inflicted a heavy penalty in
the shape of a large pecuniary fine on
its opponents, amounting to nearly
100000. He argued the matter on con-
Stltutlonal grounds, and dehed any law
yer to show precedent or parallel for
anything approaching the governments
action. He appealed to the house to
vote against proceedings so utterly
unique and unprecedented. Never
within century and half
had any public man been ex-
posed to such tests and trials
as had Mr.. Parnell. When GER
tain persons imagined that Mr.. Parnell
Quailed before the proposed inquiry, he
put such pressure on the government
that the free gift character Of the pro-
pOsal disappeared, and it became a
measure forced upon the house at any
cost. Every clause except the first was
forced through without debate by use
of clOture so ruthless that nothing but
the most urgent consideration Of public
safety could justify it. The cOnstitu-
tional party that in 1882 resisted clUture
now applied it. No minister could ac-
cuse him of inconsistency when the
enormous inconsistencies of the govern
ment were considered. In 1882 the gov
ernment declared that cloture was a
most unconstitutional and
DANGEROUS INNOVATION;
in 1883 it used cloture in a most uncon-
stitutiOnal and dangerous manner for
the purpose of forcing upon its Oppo-
nents an unprecedented, unparalleled
and tremendous instrument of oppres-
sion. A nemesis attended the govern
ment for adopting such methods. What
had been the result of this mountainous
partuTition? A reptile mOnster-PigOtt
[Parnellite cheers. What had been the
delivery with all their skill and parlia-
mentary instruments? A CHASTITY,
bloody. rotten fetus-PigOtt, Pigott,
Pigott [Parnellite cheers]. In appoint
ing the commission the government
violated the constitution. In making
this motion the government was vio-
lating its own law. The report con-
demned certain persons and ac-
quilted others. But did it con-
denim all the guilty parties? 1t
condemned the Parnellites on certain
charges. Did 1t condemn the Times?
If the government insisted upon its
motion. and compelled the majority to
assent to it, he would insist upon his
right to vote to condemn not only the
Parnellites but also the Times. which
had been found guilty of an atrocious
and uneXampled libel and SANDER. Mr..
Chamberlain said it was on the invita-
ton of the Parnellites that the matter
was made subject of inquiry. Ii the
government had instituted criminal pro-
ceedings it would have been
OPEN To ALL THE CENSURE
which Lord Randolph Churchill had
bestowed upon it. The government
treated the allegations as libels which
might or might not be disproyed, and
indicated then that the accused
should take the usual steps to
defend their characters. He denied
that the commission was the result
of his personal suggestion. Experience
showed that it was the best and only
tribunal to conduct the inquiry. The
chief objection to it was that the judges
would not be impartial. That was not
said now. 1t was urged that the Times.
if found guilty. would have absolute
immunity in subsequent proceedings;
but ali allegations against the commits
sion prove to be baseless. No parlia-
mentary committee could have con-
Quoted the inquiry so eXhauStiVely and
well. He urged that there was no
reason for receiving he findings of any
constitutional tribunal with suspicion.
Mr.. Gladstone had admitted the asSidu-
ity, ability. learning and perfect good
faith Of the judges. Sir Charles
Russell had spoken of their
Judgment as impartial. The fact that
prepossessionS and political sentiments
should not vitiate their findings on mat
ters of fact. The house would simply
adopt the generals effect of the report
without pledging itself to every word.
He asked to whom the house would ap-
peal if it refused to adopt the judges
opinion on matters of fact. He warned
the house, with an imperfect reeOllec-
tiOn of the terms of the report, against
assuming judicial functions by deefin-
ing to accept the judges findings. He
urged the house to leave the matter in
the hands of the nation. MI Jennings
withdrew his amendment. Mr.. Caine
Liberal Unionist moved a similar
amendment oOndemnIng the Times,
which was rejected-321 to 259.
A scene OF the most intense excitement.
lasting several minutes, followed. Mr..
Goschen taunted Mr.. Sexton in refer