The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-15
PARNELL'S BIG VICTORY.
THE GOVERNMENTS ACTION NOT
DECIDED ON YET.

Parnen Speaks on the Irish Clause in
the Address in Reply to the Queens
Speech Balfour's Rule in ireland
Severely Arraigned-The Press Still
Discussing the Report.
LONDON, Feb. 14-Amid the cheers OF
the opposition in the House Of Commons
to-day. Mr.. Parnell asked what action the
government proposed to take upon the re-
port of the special commission appointed TO
investigate the charges made by the London
Times against the Parnellite members OF
the house.
William Henry Smith, the government
leader, replied that the report only came
into possession of the ministers at 10 o'clock
last evening, and that they had not yet had
time to decide upon the course they would
adopt.
The debate on the address in reply to the
speech from the throne was then resumed.
Mr.. Parnell moved an amendment, OF
which he had before given notice, asking
repeal Of the coercion act, and addressed
the house. He attacked the pettiness of the
prosecutions which the government was
daily inhicting upon many persons in utter
gratutiousness and the ooercive action
under MIR. Balfour, chief secretary for Ire
land.
BALFoUR's EVIDENT OBJECT.
Almost every act of Secretary Balfour,
Mr.. Parnell said, appeared to be directed
toward driving the people Of Ireland to
crime. He compared the coercive admins
tration OF Earl Spencer with that of Secre-
tary Balfour, and SAID that though many
actions Of Earl Spencer had been faulty,
the law under him had been directed
against actual crime and secret conspiracy,
while in the case of Secretary Balfour it
was directed against the right to combine
to secure freedom of the press and liberty of
speech. The governments excuse for its ac-
rion was the existence in Ireland Of bovcot-
ting. He had never denied that there had been
much unjust ana criminal boycotting during
1850, 1881 and 1882. The history Of the
Irish movement since the last named year
showed that the action of the nationalists
had been constantly modified and moderated
in recognition of efforts to secure the pas
sqge Of ameliorative measures for Ireland.
The league of tod ~, Mr.. Parnell declared,
differed widely from the land league of
$780, and Secretary Balfour could not plead
as an excuse for his course that crime was
being revived. On the contrary, the people
were quiescent in the expectation of soon
obtaining their rights.
PETTY PROSECUTIONS.
Yet Secretary Balfour's regime had been
distinguished by petty prosecutions and
frivolous charges, often brought against
children and old women. His campaign
against the press commenced with the
newsboys and was winding UP with fusi-
lade against the editors. The action of the
government tended to its own defeat and
could not succeed in turning the tide of the
aspirations of the Irish people. Despite the
| petty exasperations Of the Balfour policy
| the.nationalists had not swerved from pacific
methods to attain their aims. [Cheers.
Sir Richard Webster, attorney general,
| charged Mr.. Parnell with making grave
accusations against Secretary Balfour with
out producing evidence in support of his
allegations. He could not adduce single
instance Of unjust eviction. While calling
the administra ion to account in the future
he would at least be limited by some facts.
| He could not disprove figures showing that
crime had decreased and that boycotting
| had been repressed.
IN FAVOR OF DISSOLUTION.
All the radical party in the House of
| Commons is In favor OF the dissolution of
parliament and will assist any project look
| ing to that end. There is notion that the
| Parnell commission discrediting the govern
ment as an ally of the Times, will have
great effect through tae country and that
this would be a good time for the choice Of
a new House of Commons.
A TRIUMPHANT ACQUITTAL.
The Star, It. P. O'Connor's paper claims
| that the report Of the Parnell commission is
triumphant acquittal of all accused Par
| nellite members Of the House of Commons.
BETTER THAN THE PARNEL LITEs EXPECTED.
The Pail Mall Gazette SAYS the report of
the special commission is a more complete
| vindication of the Parnellites and more
| sweeping condemnation of the Times than
| the most sanguine Of the home rulers VEN
tured to hope for, II the view Of the union
| ist press is right, that the report convicts
| the Parnelites as criminal conspirators,
| what must the ministers do with them
| They cannot expel them from the House of
| Commons On the contrary, they have
| promised already to introduce bill hand
| ing over the local government Of Ireland to
these convicted criminals. The ministers
must dissociate themselves publicly from
such views, otherwise they will find them
| selves in an embarrassing dilemma.
| The Gazette admits that the judges dealt
| honestly with the facts presented to them,
but says they had their prejudices. They
were impartial in their conclusions, but
| have shown marke ed partiality in their dis
tribution of expletive, hurting epithet after
expletive at the Irish members of the house
without uttering one disapproving word for
the forgeries of the Times.
Inc JdulBS OtLEGttS btyS IL Will Do Il
monstrous perversion Of the report to
deduce therefrom a general verdict Of not
| guilty. Mr.. Parnell and his associates were
found guilty Of criminal conspiracy, main
tanned by incltement from which crime
directly ensued. Parliament would not 20
beyond its rights if it expelled them as
though they were actually convicted.
swAYED By PARTY TIES.
The provincial papers express opinions as
to the findings of the commission based on
their political views. Gladstonian papers
hold that the report is a triumphant acqut-
tai, while unionist papers declare that it is
an emphatic condemnation of the Pernell-
| ties
The Globe says that the report will hence
forth be supreme authority on the history
of the land league. 1t cannot be appeaIe d
to for one purpose and not for another.
therefore those quoting from it to prove
acquittaI OF the Parnellites of certain
charges will logically be compelled to
admit that they were guilty of criminal
conspiracy.
ACQUITTED ALL ALONG THE LINE
DUBLIN, Feb. 14-FreeB1dn's Journal
says the Parnellite members of the House
Of Commons are acquitted all along the
/ line. The report, 1t says, virtually ID a
| verdict against their accusers.
The Erpress says the report indicates
| that the work of the land league was con-
nected with the increase in crime in Ireland.