Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-10-10
SIR LIONEL'S IRE.
Comment at Washington on Lord
SackvilIe's Latest.
ECHO OF THE ELECTION OF 1883.

Ex-Assistant Secretary Davis Gives His
Recollection of Events Referred to in
the Ex.Minister's Remarkable Pamphlet
An Explanation from Other Sources
The "Murchison" Letter and Sackville's
Getting the Diplomatic Grand Bounce.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1O.-The extracts
from the pamphlet printed by Lord Sack
Vile West reviewing his diplomatic career
In this country which ended in his being
summarily given his passports in the fall
Of 1883 after the publication Of the Murch.
ison letter, have attracted great attention
here and it is thought that perhaps Min
lister Bayard, who was so severely scored
in the publication, may ask the state de-
partment to make complaint against Lord
Sackville-West. The latter, although re-
tired is ON the pension list of the British
government. Bancroft Davis, who was
first assistant secretary of state under
Frelinghuysen, and whose conversations
Lord Sackville repeats, makes the follow
ing statement for the Associated Press.
Facts About the Irish Prisoners.
Il appear in the account twice. Once
In connection with an alleged request
made by Secretary Frclinghuyscn for the
release of imprisoned Irish suspects and
| once receiving information from Lord
Granville Of an alleged Irish conspiracy to
the first, what took place between tho two
governments was this: Mr.. Erclinghuy-
sen, by direction of the president, instruc
ted Mr. Lowell to ask Lord Granville to
have the lord lieutenant of Ireland in
structcd to exercise the discretion rcpOsed
in him by law to order an immediate trial
Of the prisoners who had then been i'm
prisoned without trial many months. This
request when pressed brought about re-
lease of all the prisoners. l cannot recall
that I had any conversation with the
British minister on that subject, but as
his account appears to have been a con-
temp oraneous one it is probably substan-
TALLY correct"
Another Explanation of the Matter.
Davis added that he never knew that
any representations had been made that
Sir Lioncrs life was endangered. From
scmi-official sources the following explana-
ton is given of what took place at the
time of the passage of the crimes act in
oned under the orders of Forster, the secre-
tary for Ireland, but no disposition was
made to bring them to trial, Fosters pol
| icy being to hold them in prison as sus-
poets The British parliament Endorsed
that policy by the passage Of the crimes
act which empowered the lord lieutenant
of Ireland TO hold suspects prisoners until
he chose to place them on trial. There
was great outcry in this country against
| the crimes act.
Arthur's Request Complied With.
AS month after month passed without q
trial it was believed that under it the
prisoners could be held for life without
| trial. President Arthur, in response to
this sentiment, did not demand the release
| of the prisoners. but he requested Lord
Granville to have the lord lieutenant of
Ireland exercise the discretion reposed in
him by the crimes act and either release
or bring the prisoners to trial. Within
two weeks after that request was pre-
ferred the suspects were all released and
Forster, whose policy had been overruled,
had resigned from the British cabinet
Lord Sackville says the release was asked
| to enable the administration to placate
the Irish vote in this country.