New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-18
LIFE IN LONDON.
SIR CHARLES DILKE-vIEWS IN HIGH QUAR-.
TERS-TIIE MAD JUDGES.
Westminster. March z,

Westminster March T.
The Dixie case has suddenly come to the front
again, and is likely to occupy an increased
measure of attention. For some years one popular
constituency after another has approached Sir
Charles Dixie with invitation to represent
them in Parliament. He has hitherto declined,
on the ground that he is resolved not to return
to public life till he can do SO with his character
indicated from the charge which suddenly hurled
him from one of the most promising places held
in English public life. Among the more per-
sstcnt of the applicants for his services in
Parliament have been the electors Of the Forest
of Dean, a wOrkingmans constituency. Sir
Charles has been less coy in receiving their
advances than those of other suitors, and matters
have gone so far that he is on Monday to attend
a meeting whercat he will be expected definitely
TO state his intentions In the meanwhile there
has been prepared on his behalf stout pamphlet
reviewing the case of Crawford versus Crawford"
and adding some fresh facts that have come to
light in the searching investigations, which Sir
Charles has never intcrmited. This pamphlet 10
to be published on Monday, and copy of 1t will.
7 believe. he sent to every eector in the Dean
Forest The two points in the proceedings before
thc Divorce Court that most grievously told against
Sir Charles were his n0n-appearance In the VIII
ness-box and the flight of the woman y" Fanny,
against whom Mrs. Crawford alleged detalled
charge by way of bolstcring up her pitlfll story.
II is commonly believed that Mr.. chamberlain
was responsible for the fatal advice that kept
Sir Charles Dixie out of the witness-box on uhe
first trial 1t is shown in the pamphlet thas
his abstention due TO advice rendered 10 MIN
bv the eminent counsel, Sir Charles Russell and
Sir Henry James, who represented MN Defoe ohs
court As to Fanny she has been traced 10
the home where she is living with husband, iound
since the trial. and she has made statutory
declaration fatty contradictlng MIS-. Cra"ioruS
story. which the writer Of the pamphlet, win
considerable skill and much success, submits TO
searching review.
Admitting the innocence OF Slr Charles DliNe,
there surely never was man whom al ciluo"i
epoch in life, fate pursued win more eVil ior'une
Everything went wrong with him. In the nrSs
trial he was kept out Of the box and so suffered
discredit from which be never recovered. In the
second trial legal formalites, against which no
vainly strove. placed him at the enormous as
advantage of not being represented by couhsei'
Lastly the woman Fanny" whom Mrs Craw-
ford inextricably associated with the case, SUD-
denly and unaccOuntably vanished into space
leaving no answer for the defence to this speclho
and crucial feature in the case.
There is little doubt that, if Sir Charles hnally
resolves to contest the Forest of Dean seat, no
will be returned to Parliament This IS pros
pect which, am bound to say, is not weicomed
nv his old colleagues on the Front Opposition
porcb with the hcartiness that might have been
expected It is, in truth, regarded as peculiarly
embarrassing If Sir Charles were returned me- az
an ex-Ninister would be privileged to take MS
seat on the Front Bench shoulder to shoulder win
Mr. Gladstone. Now, Mr. Gladstone, as all the
world knows has just publicly ana IN solemn
fashion declared that he can hold no communica-
hon with the convicted correspondent In announcer
famous divorce case Sir Charles Dixie still re-
mains under tie ban passed upon him by the find
inc of the court in the case Of Crawford vers"
Crawford and it is evident that there cannot he
| in Opposition councils two codes Of ethics-ons
for AR Parneu and another for Sir Charles Dixie
The situation will, in all probability, be modified
after thr general election, which, unless all sl-iu
of the times are misleading, Will lana MT "ia"'
stone and his colleagues on the treasury iehch
Sir CharcS Dixie could not impose his bodily pres
ence there. since the Treasury Bench is reserved
far the accommodation of Ministers actually hold
i'm, Office But he would belong to the Liberal
PARTY could not fail TO he prominent member
Of IT, and all kinds of personal and political EN-
barras>mentS would arise.
/ Mr. Gladstone has believe, not entirely broken
! of all personal relations with statesman who'
| up to 1885, was one Of his most trusted ana val
| mel colleagues in the Cabinet. lie has OCCASION
ally called in Sloane-st. and left his card. Ohly
| the other day the Prince OF Wales went OUT Oh
/ his way in n marked manner To recognize Sir
/ Charles who at one time was frequent guess
at Marlborough House. Meeting him riding IN
| the park. he accoscd him, accompanied HIM soma
! WAY and parted with frcndliest Salutation. These
/ 10 ,vlli
/ ,he privatr position he has studiouSly assumed
/ since his brilliant career was suddenly bliGhed;
! hut il * ohvious that matters would stand on
! different footing if he again returned to puohc
! life lie must in such case either he formally
rcadmttcd TO the old circles Of personal relation
! ,hips or he must be deliberately boycoted. Ihere
is no middle course open. This situation is recoS-
nizcd ON the Front Opposition Bench and Is d's'
| cusSed with sense Of painful OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
A. length "Thc Times has become conscious
| Of the dilemma on the judicial bench. of when
| notc was made in these columns some weeks ago
! Yesterday leader appeared IN that Jonfhal an
nouncing in guarded hat unmistakable terms 'ha'
| the time had come when steps must ne taken 10
mt an end to the scandal. Ii is curious 10 ho'e'
! however, at the present day that the influence
If 1.-THE Times is sufficient to make this stcp
notable and important. People in high onc''i
Mace who We're from the first intimately a."
ouainted with the facts, but never perfhl''e'
themselves To alludc to them, think II is SAFE
and decorous to talk freely, since Inc llieS
has vcnturcd to approach the topic as one Su''a'e
| for public discussion The result Will he senslpV
| 70 hasten action the part of the authorizes
Several questions have, during the last fortnight
| been put to Ministers in the House OF Commons
| But Mr. W. IT, Smith. to whom they have oeeh
addressed. has replied with pretty atecta'on
Of being entirely in the dark as TO what particular
ease the yelled question alluded to. AS Tor ,''
unfortunate occasion Of the dilemma, he is going
! from bad TO worse. Where he presided In court Oh
circuit the other day, the barrlster conducting
the prosecution. fearing that witness was spea',
| -. =. o.. ahn nnnNcniencc of the lnngc, sllu