The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1890-03-01 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

BYRON-ST , BARROW-IN-FURNESS. 5405  CASE AND CO.,  WINE AND SPIRIT MERCHANTS AND  BREWERS,  JO!, Duic STREEI,  BARItOW.  Times had been in the main borne out by the verdict of the Special Commission. He has found nobody to believe that wretched delusion—not even himself. A. gross injustice has been done to the Irish Parliamentary party, and it is not to be glossed over by the crocodile tears of regret whith Mr. W. S. Caine and one or two others have been compelled to shed. We hope and trust that the debate will show what have been the relations of the Government to the Times in the promulgation of theso infamous charges. We know enough already to make us more than suspicious. We know that the Times received assistance which ought never to have been given to Iprivate individuals. We now want to know to what exteat Mr. Smith helped his particular friend Mr. Walter ; how it was that 11 the whole machinery of the Irish Executive was so freely at the disposal of the persecutors ; and then the country will judge of the motives of those who were associated in this 'flagrant iniquity." i It is fortunately some time since the I people of this country were treated to an English Government behaving in a manner in which, as individuals, even they would we believe, be ashamed to behave. If Mr. W. H. Smith had personally charged a colleague with complicity in murder, and that colleague had been acquitted by three ; judges, would Mr. Smith consider it sufficient to lay the report on his own table and accept it *lama comment or apology? If there is anything left of that fine old English spirit which would in such case force him to apologise and to repair as far as he could the injury he had done to an innocent man, surely one would expect to find it among Her Majesty's ministers. And a e will do Mr. W. H. Smith the justice to believe that if this had been a private matter of his own he would have been the first to offer apology and reparation. But as it is a political matter, he and the Tory party, who are fond of calling themselves the gentlemen of England, refuse collectively to do what, as individuals, they would be bound to do. They refuse reparation and refuse apology, and propose that the judges' report be laid on the table of the House. We are licit surprised that such disgraceful conduct should rouse a feeling of indignation in the minds of honest men; or that Mr. Gladstone is indignant. We can assure the Tory party that however they treat this amendment they have not heard the last of the Special Commission. Nor will they be able in the long run to shelter , their friends in this abominable business. Sooner or later the whole story will be dragged out into the light of day, and a sorry spectacle it we expect, for the present Government and their allies. It is amusing to observe that the judges report goes up only to 1885. Now the Tories were in close alliance with the Parnellites in  lea& Did Lord Salisbury then regard these gentlemen as members of a conspiracy? If so, how could he ask them to support his party in the country? If they are guilty of conspiracy now, they were as guilty then. And yet when it was convenient for Lord Salisbury's party purposes, he combined with the very men whom he and his friends have been denouncing and perseeming ever since. We have grown accustomed, .we regret to say, to some disgraceful methods of conducting party politics, but w e hope it will be a long time before anything else as disgraceful, or as shabby, or as mean, as the conduct of the present Government towards Mr. Parnell and the Irish members exhibits itself to the contemptuous gaze of honest Englishrx,en.