The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-01
THE DuNRlyEN CHARGES.

raven-It Confines Itself to the Charge of Change of Measurements of the Defender The Cup Committee Exonerated. The special committee appointed to investigate the charges of Lord Dunla- ven concerning the treatment he receiV- ed at the hands of the cup committee during the international yacht races last year has concluded it's work. The result of the enquiry is given to the public in the form of pamhlet con taining thirty pages.
 The committee the report says, has confined its enquiries solely to the quas- tion of the truth of the charge of sur reptitious changes in the ballasting of the Defender on September ', not deem- ing itself authorized or called upon to investigate any other circumstances connected with this or the subsequent races between the same yachts, except so far as they might assist in determin- ing that question.
 In conclusion the report says:
 With reference to the suggestion of Lord Dunraven that the omission of the cup committee to remeasure the Defender on the same day of the race, or to put a representative on board of her to remain during the night, justi- fled his suspicion that her displacement lad been tempered with between the q nd ha aaS S1l Inc fol- lowing day, a few words should be said.
 IL has already been pointed out that a remeasurement of the Defender after the race and on the same day was inn possible, because the Erie Basin, where alone it could take place, was too far distant to be reached until too dark to make it; and that Lord Dunraven was so informed by Mr. Fish when the re- quest was made It was fully proved that such a measurement could noit be made by artificial light. The remeas- urement that took place on the next day (Sunday) at 10 o'clock in the morn ing, was therefore the earliest possi- bie
 In regard to the request, which Lord Dunrayen states that he made to MT. Fish for transmission to the cup com mittee, namely, that each of the two yachts should be taken into the charge of the committee for that night, it is conclusively shown that no such re- quest reached the committee.
 MT. Fish denies that any such request was included in fthe message with which he was charged. That he did not un- derstand that it was included, is shown by the fact that in delivering the mes sage few hours afterwards, gravely impressed as he says with it's impor- tance, he made no mention to the com mHttee of such a request.
 It further appears that a memoran- dunn of the message sent was made by MT. Fish in writing, which was pro- duced and put in evidence, and con- tains no allu,sion to the request in ques- tion. MT. Fish testifies that he made this memora ndum in Lord Dunraven' $ presence, because unwilling to trust his oWn memory and in order to be sure that it should be accurately conveyed that he read it over to Lord Dunraven, /, who suggested a correction, which was interlined; and that this memorandum contained the whole message as given to him, and a delivered by him. Lord Dunraven remembers that some memo randum was made by MT. Fish at the time, concerning this message, but does not recollect that he himself suggested any correction. But even upon his own recollection of the facts, the written memorandum seems strongly to confirm MT. Fish's statement.
 It is testified by the cup committee that the memorandum was delivered to -+l, hx- EiCh a tho rr1a O he had received, and it is clear that it was acted upon by them as such, and that the publication by Lord Dunraven in the Field was the first knowledge that committee had of any alleged re- quest that they should take charge of the vessels pending remeasurement. It is also to be observed that Lord Dun- raven in his letter to MT. Kersey of Sep- tember 27th makes no mention of such request; for all he there says is, "I don know whether Fish ever told the con- nittee I wished the ships measured im- mediately after the race"
 It was shown that the message from Lord Dunraven as ito the increased inn rnersion of the Defender, and the reason for his request for remeasurement ot the Defender were not communicated to Mr. Iselin by MT. Fish or by the cup committee, and did not come to his knowledge till long afterwards.
 It has not been suggested that the members of the cup committee, or any of them, were or could have been par ties to any tampering with the water line of the Defender. The complaint of Lord Dunraven, made through Mir Fish was not stated in such terms as to sug- e'est to them, in the absence of and defi- mite request, that they ought to put a representative on board the Defender that night. This is apparent from Lord Dunraven's own statement of it in his publication in the Field. The commit tee have not been referred to any prec- edent for such action, nor to any rule of any yacht club in which such a rem edy has been provided for. It necessa- rly implied distrust of all persons con- nected with the management of the De fender, and from their knowledge Of these gentlemen it would doubtless nev- CT have occurred to the cup committee unless specially demanded.
 But whether the cup committee should of their own motion, upon the sugges- ton that was in fact conveyed to them by oral message from Lord Dunraven have taken that step as matter of precaution, becomes now in the present oac co +ot, i,,,,,, taria1 tO consider hn-