The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-27
Resigns Membership in N.
Y. Club.
Gives What He Calls Reasons
for Action.
Text of Letters Received by Yacht
Club Officials.

NEW YORK, Feb. 27.-Lord Dunraven's
letter to Secretary Oddie OF the New
York Yacht Club, resigning his honorary
mem bership in that organization, Is made
public today. The letter, which Is dated
February 10, states that this course is ta-
ken in view of the motion made by Cap
tain Ledyard at the recent Getting of the
CLUB that Lord Dunraven be expelled be-
cause Of the allegations he rad made
against members of the club, but which
he had not su substantiated. In another let
ter, dated February II, and addressed to
the Hon. Il. j. Phelps, which IL publish
ed in connection with the letter to Mr..
Oddie, LORD Dnnraven explained that he
was satisfied with the conclusions OF the
committee which had investigated his
charges about the management of the
yacht Defender, and that he had also writ
ten personal letter TO Mr.. lselin disa-
vowing any intention TO reflect upon him
in any way. The letter OF resignation Is
as follows:
LONDON, 81 Norfolk street.
Park Lane, February 10, 1896.
j. v. s. ODDIE, Esq, Secreiary:
DEAR SIR--In supplementing my cable
gram and letter of Feb. H. wish TO en-
phasize the fact that my letters to Messrs.
Rives and Phelps We're written and de-
of Captain Ledyard. without comment
ing on the grounds or terms Of the mo-
tion as to the justice of which / do not
agree, / wish to say in view OF the fact
that q motion OF such a nature has been
made, and is matter OF record, ! do not
desire to remain a member otthe club,
whatever may be the result of the motion.
therefore beg that you VIII lay my
resignation before the club, course
which will probably be approved by
majority of the members. remain
Yours faithfully,
February IL last Lord Dunraven ad-
dressed a letter to former minister Phelps,
chairman of the special committee of the
club, as follows:
DEAR MIR. PHELPS:
The attitude OF assisting the inquiry as
a witness and not as prosecutor, which
in the nature Of the case / had 10 adopt,
and which l have consistently maintain
ed, pre- ents me from presuming to ac-
cept or reject or TO criticise. afflrmatively
or negatively, the committees report
officially. But in view of the many mis-
understandings which have occurred, 1
Fave felt myself justified in writing
briefly 10 you, as sho Id be sorry IL
you or the committee misunderstood my
silence, and in saying ew words to
which YOU may give such publicity as you
may think tit or necessary. My com
plaint was made In good faith on the
direct evidence of the eyesight of my own
and competent men, as TO the effects or
cause of which they id not know or at
tempt to define.
1t will, i'm my opinion, be impossible to
find stronger reasons upon which actions
could be taken, or as Justification for a
complaint of ike nature to that which /
most reluctantly made, and / am unable
therefore to agree that the complaint was
unrsasonably originated. i cannot admit
that there was mistake in the observed
facts, as suggested by the employment of
calculations which were accepted by the
committee as mathematically proving
that we did not see the actual objects,
which we did see. The only time for alb
soute proof or disproof of the complaint
that the Defender did not sail the
race on Sep ember z under her meas
ured load-waterline length must have
been on the day Of the race. My
conduct after the first race, and my atti-
tude towards the quiry when / offered
TO go TO New York and before the inquiry
when i was present in New York, all show
ny belief in that proposition, which, in
my opinion, was self-evi1ent, and think
admitted in evidence by members of the
cup committee.
Feeling as do upon This point, j was
unable to adopt toward the judgment of
your committee the attitude which 1
should unhesitatingly have taken had the
inquiry been conducted at the proper
time by the authority under which l
sailed, TO which 1 made my complaint,
and whose decision l was bound TO ac-
cept. l fully realized the difficulty of the
situation which hsd arisen, | think large
~ through mutual misunderstanding and
on the evidence before them. / most will
ingiy accept the main conclusions OF your
committee, and am only too glad to con-
slider the dispute closed.
i have throughout frequently stated
that Lad no charge to make against Mr..
Iselin CT the other owners of the Deien-
der and i do not agree that he and his
friends and all connected with the vessel
mu have been aware Of 1t II the Defen-
der allied her first race deeper than when
she was measured. AS this Is matter
personal to them, l have written to these
gentlemen to make the point perfectly
clear.
There are two less important matters to
which may briefly refer. ! believed, and
FOR the reasons given In evidence, think
j WAS justified in believing. that the
owners OF the Defender knew of my com
plant at the time II was made. but fully
eccept Mr.. Iselin's statement that he only
bece me cognizent OF IL ON October "a.
have also written 10 Messrs. Garfield
end Rogers admitting the error in my
belief that the vessels were order q mark
cd I'm Difference TO my request made to
the cup committee on September Though
neither L nor any one connected with the
Nalkyrie Ill understood that the yachts
would be marked on September & fully
accept the statement ci Messrs Garfield
ard Rogers that they believed they he'd
explained the intentions OF the committee
10 ne.
remain, my dear Mr.. Philips,