THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1901, 25 July 1888, Page 3

THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

(IT BMEOIBIO TELEGRAPH— OO*YWRIGHt) [PXB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] London, July 23 Mr Parnell has announced that he deshes full enquiry to the charges made against him by the " Times." He only stipulates that the Commission proposed shall be of a non-political character, and make its report within a reasonable time.. It is believed the following will be appointed the Commissioners :— Lord Justice C. S. Bowen, j Justice Sir Alfred Wills, and Lord: Young, of the High Court of Justice for Scotland.

«\lt is rumored that disclosure g will be made to show that the " Times " was hoaxed m reference to the letters published m that paper on the subject of Parnellism and crime.

A Mr Reginald Brett alleges that he is prepared to prove that prior to the publication of the letterß m the " Times" he if as interviewed by an exmemher of the House of Commons, who offered to furnish evidence which would prove conclusively that Mr Parnell was concerned m many of the horrible outrages which had taken place m Ireland. Mr Brett states further that his informant demanded £1000 for the information, but he declined to give it, not feeling satisfied that the man's statement was true. Mr Brett asserts hit beliet that the "Times" afterwards purchased this man's information and published it m the now famous letters on Parnellism and Crime. (Beoeired July 25, 12.45 o m.) London, July 24. In the House of Commons, the Uon W. H. Smith proposed that the Commission to enquire into the charges against Parnell should consist of the Bight Hon Sir James Hannen, President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Court, and Justices Sir Charles Day and Fir Archibald Levin Smith of the Queen's Bench Division. Mr Parnell declared that the Government intended the enquiry to be not into his conduct alone, but into the actions of the National League m Great Britain, Ireland and America, but they could believe he would emerge with a character untarnished. The Commission should be confined to the enquiry into the charges against specific members of Parliament and all other persons should be excluded from its scope. Mr Gladstone insisted that only definite charges should be enquired into, and the authenticity of the letters produced at the trial was the main charge. He doubted if the Commission would command implicit confidence,

Mr Matthews thought the gravest charge was whether it was true that Mr Parnell's political party was m close alliance with those who had planned the outrages. He considered the omission would reduce the enquiry to a farce.

Sir Charles Russell said the tribunal as proposed was unfair, and unworkable and would be interminable. He would prefer that the charges be enquired into by a partisan London jury. Mr O'Connor said the Irish party objected to the Commission enquiring into the history of the League.

The debate was adjourned until nex day.