Evening journal., 1890-02-12
ONE GENT
PARLIAMENT C0NvENEs.
Parnell Speaks Bitter Words in
the Commons. LA
PrCOTrs FoRcERIEs HIS TuEnE.

LhhcNs-Ah ne queens speech Road Her
Majesty's Views on the Portugal ina
brogiio aud the Treaty With samoa.
LONDON, Feb. r. Parliament reasseniblea
yesterday. The queens speech opening the.
session was read by commission. Ia re-
gard 70 the Portuguese troubles sho says.
IAN armed force under a Portuguese officer
was dispatched during the autumn from
Mozambique into territory where British
settlements had been formed, and whers,
there are native tribes who have beon taken
under my protection. A collision, attended
BY bloodshed, took place, and acts wsrs
committed which were inconslsrenr with the
respect due the British hag. The Portu-
guese government now, at my request haa
promised to withdraw its military forces
from the territory in question
The samoan Treaty.
In regard TO Samoa the speech has the fol-
lowing; "rhe convention concluded by ms
with the emperor Of Germany and the United
States with respect to the government Of
Samoa viii be laid before you with the pro-
tocols Of the conference. The treaty con-
cluded with the United States for the amend
uent of the law OF extradition will also he
submitted to you. The latter awaits the ratif-
cation Of the United States senate
The House Of Cords.
In the house Of lords Lord Salisbury de-
Tended the governments treatment Of Por-
tugal Decisive diplomatic pressure pre-
sented the best course for the interests OF
Portugal and the interests Of humanity. As
to the reported naval maneuvers IN the
Mediterranean he did not know that any
we're intended
In the Commons.
Ia the house Of commons Sir William var-
non Harcourt offered motion declaring
that The London Times in publishing the
forged Pigott letters was guilty OF breach
Of privilege. He contended that breach OF
privilege committed during one session could.
be punished during another session. He
said; "Since the suit for libel has been de-
cided In favor Of Mr.. Parneli and since 10
has been admitted that the letters used as
cover to the assault on him were forgeriea
the house is afforded an absolutely sure basis
whereon 10 act
''It Is now obvious that the object OF the
publication Of the forgeriea on tho day whom
the coercion bill had its second reading was
to influence the division IN parliament IL
was gross and palpable outrage on tha
house. a more fragrant breach Of privileges
could not be conceived Some repara lion
should BE made for this use cs poisoned
weapons He urged that all sides should
unite to brand with tho stigma of parliag
mentary reprobntion this practise Of Che are
Of political forgery
Sir John Gorst moved that tbe house ds.
cline 20 consider this motion OF breach OF
privilege.
Gladstone Takes the Floor.
Mr. Gladstone, who was loudly chcered ~
he arose, spoke ia support Of the motion He
said he could not consider that Tho Times
offense against the house had been purgesf
by the apologies which had been made be-.
fore the Parnell commission through Sir
Richard Webster, which apologies grossly
exaggerated the original offense. II the
conspiracy against Mr.. Parnell had been
successful the result to him would have been
absolute political death, and the mortal
blow struck at him would have been felt
throughout the Irish nation. The Times had
aimed TO affect the Judgment Of the house
and it had really had IN that direction a
temporary success. He did not wish to dwell
upon the horrible and loathsome character
Of the whole affair
He trusted the house would vindicate its
right to deal with the offense The govern-
mcnt owed it to itself to deal fairly toward
Mr.. Parnell and the Irish people for the iu-
justice done to both through the forgeries-
Balfour Strikes Back.
Mr. Balfour accused Mr. Giadstone of
dealing in himsy fiction. He declared the
delay was the fault Of the Gladstone party
alone, and said the charge that The Times
had acted with view TO influencing the
Judgment of the house was a calumny
ParneiI Defends Himself.
Mr. Parnell was enthusiastically cheered
as he took the floor. why did not the
government appoint the committee Of in
quiry we asked for in the beginningqn hs
asked. THAT would have made il possible
to prove that the letters were forgeries Ia
forty-eight hours.
II never determined not TO submit the
facts 10 jury, but always considered it nbso-
lutely necessary to discover from whom The
Times obtained its letters Trecognized. how
ever, that it was impossible to compel The
Times TO divulge this In any ordinary court
OF justice. Without knowing from whom
the letters came would not have been abls
to prove that they were forgeries, and
should have been left with the opinion OF all
trained experts in the country against me.
There would have been only my own word
to convince a jury that certain letters, ad-
vanced and printed as mine upon the great
authority Of The Times, were forged
think, therefore, was wise in what did. I
asked for q select committee, because to com
pei its agents TO testify before such a body
was the only method Of forcing The Times
to divulge that secret. As this was refused
we are not to blame for the delay.
Parnell's Bitter words.
"But who is to blames You wanted 70
use those letters as a political engine. not
caring whether they were or were not forg-
cries. You saw that it was impossible for
us to prove that they were forgeries very
speedily, and that meanwhile they would
be useful to you in elections You used
them to make capital against as, and as q
suitable engine for obtaining an inquiry
into much wider question, which you
would never have obtained apart from let
ters that were forged for the purpose.
j, the leader Of party that must always
be in the minority here should be sorry 70
treat my most powerful opponents with the
incredible meanness and cowardics with
which have been treated by tham-
"Even now l am further insulted by the
terms of the amendment, which fnsinuates
that the forged letters may after all b@
genuine. If you believe those letters were
forged, have the courage and frankness 20
declare it. move TO place the word forged
before the word letters In the Amendments
to the motion"
Harcourt's Motion Rejected. 4
Mr.. Smith, In behalf Of the whole govern
ment and his party, expressed himself safis~
fed that Mr. Parneli had proved the letters
to be forreries and consented that the WORD (