The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-01
L0NDON'S BIG SCANDAL.
LABOUCHERE MAKES A BIG STIR
IN THE HOUSE.

IN TAE HOUSE.
Other Government Officials with
Criminal Conspiracy to Defeat Jus
tice-Lebouchere Finally Suspended
for Impeaching the Veracity of the
Premier.
LONDON, Feb. 2S.-Mr. Labouchere spoke
to his motion Of inquiry into the Cleveland
street scandal, which had been made part
of the regular order for to-day in the House
of Commons. He alleged that the case
presented an official attempt to defeat the
course of Justice, and, therefore, he had
moved a reduction OF credits relating to the
administration of justice. He detailed acts
of scandal, and contended that the sentence
of nine months imprisonment for Week
was itself a scandal because of the made
quacy of the punishment to the offense
Treasury officials having full knowledge of
the whole affair had refrained from prose-
cutting Newlove and Week until Sir Steven
son Blackwood, secretary to'the postoffice,
had insisted upon taking action against his
own subordinates. the postal employees in
volved.
ACTION OF THE TREASURY OFFICIALS
Then, fndiug themselves compelled to
prosecute these two men, the treasury Off
cials determined to prevent the exposure
from going any further. and tried to hush
it all up. When Hammond fed the police
proposed to secure his extradition from
Belgium, where they had him watched.
Both the chief of police and
secretary to the postoffice urged the govern
ment to urge his extraditiOn. There was
no legal difficulty in the wav. Extradition
Opt,1A harr@ Inn o1.N L
Marquis of Salisbury, through a treasury
official, wrote declaring that he could not
ask for extradition.
SALISBURY NOT IGNORANT.
The Marquis of Salisbury certainly knew
that the treaty with Belgium covered the
offense alleged against Hammond. Why
then could he not ask for his extradition?
Hammond discovered that he was watched
in Belgium, and when informed Of his
danger there hurried away and
went to America, and in all
this as to information and otherwise he
was assisted through Newton, solicitor of
Lord Arthur Somerset. The object of the
government was obviously to put Ham
mond beyond the range of extradition, that
being regarded as the best plan for pre-
venting the making of revelations affecting
certain personages. Opposition cheers.1
THE POLICE HEADED OFF.
When Monro, chief of police, reported to
the treasury the evidence in the hands of
the police involving Lord Arthur Somer-
set and others the treasury ordered the
police to desist from watching the case, and
Lord Somerset obtained at the Horse
Guards four months leave of absence to
enable him to quit the country, but he did
not quit the country. He appeared at the
funeral of his grandmother, the dowoger
Duchess of Beaufort. Lieut.. Gen. Sir
Dighton Probyn, prominent member of
the household of the Prince of Wales, in
formed Lord Salisbury of this.
SALISBURY GAVE HIM THE TIP
Lord Salisbury stated that a warrant to
take him into custody would be issued, but
he caused this decision to become known to
Lord Arthur Somerset's com handing
officer, through whom this information was
conveyed to Lord Somerset. Thereupon
Lord Somerset fled. Lord Arthur Somerset
was not only allowed to resign his COM
mission and leave the army as an honora-
BILE officer, but at this moment
he is still a magistrate for two counties.
LLaughterl Moreover, he did not hide him
self. He went openly and asked for an
official place at the court of the Sultan.
Two men are now in prison for their part in
these scandalous occurrences, but they are
poor and obscure men. Their highly placed
THE DELAY IN THE WARRANT.
The government took care that the war
rant for his apprehension should not be
issued till he was out of the country. ICheers
and ministerial obs
Mr.. Labouchere said his charge was plain
enough. 1t was that the Marquis of Sails
bury and others criminally conspired to
defeat the ends Of justice. Therefore he
asked that the committee inquire into his
allegations. Laughter and cheers He
trusted that the government, whatever
their defense was, would not put up a
lawyer with a brief In his hand to defend
them by special pleading and evasive
chicanery
Mr.. Labouchere then withdrew his
motion.
SIR WEBSTER DENIES THE CHA RGEs.
Sir Richard Webster, the attorney gen.
eral said he believed the house would agree
with him that there was not shadow of
foundation for these disgrace.ih charges.
1t was absurd to suppose that Ls Marquis
Of Salisbury or the treasui- officials
could have any interest to -etard
prosecution in this case. The
procedure, in fact, took the usual course.
When the evidence was all in, it was first
collated with a view to making a case
against Lord Arthur Somerset. The opin-
ion of the lord chancellor was then taken
upon it, and his opinion was that the evil
dence was insufficient to justify prosecu-
tion.
MORE EVIDENCE OBTAINED.
Subsequently additional evidence was OBJ
tained, and this rendered the issue of a
warrant advisable, but he had authority to
state that Sir Dighton Probyn, after his
interview with the Marquis Of Salisbury on
this subject, neither saw nor communi-
Gated with Lord Arthur Somerset,
either directly or indirectly. Neither
had the Marquis Of Salisbury
any knowledge OF the movements of Lord
Arthur Somerset to avoid the service of the
warrant. The story told by Mr.. Labouchere
to the effect that the Marquis of Salisbury
had informed Sir Dighton Probyn that
warrant was about TO be issued was mere
gossip.
OFFERS TO WRITE THE NAME.
Mr. Labouchere, interrupting here, Of
fered to write the name of his informant on
a slip of paper and put the slip of paper
into the hand of Sir Richard Webster, 1eav-
ing to Sir Richard the choice of disclosing
not disclosing the name to the House.
Sir Richard Webster said Mr.. Labou-
chere could adopt what course he chose.
He himself had direct authority to contra
dict the allegation that the Marquis Of
Salisbury had spoken 10 any one regarding
the issue of the warrant.
Mr.. Laboucnere said he could not accept
Sir Richard Webster's assurances, nor did
he believe the Marquis Of Salisbury, whose