DISRAELI AND BRIGHT ON THE KENEALY FIASCO.

Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2149, 29 June 1875, Page 2

DISRAELI AND BRIGHT ON THE KENEALY FIASCO.

In the debate in the House of Commons upon the motion of Dr Kenealy for the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the conduct of the: Judges who tried the Tichborne claimant, Mr Disraeli said .—I think this debate should not be entirely confined to gentlemen of the long robe, and/ therefore, I am anxious to make a few remarks. This to-night is the consequence of an;alleged miscarriage of jnstice, brought about, by corrupt motives on the part pf the Judges. Now, there can be no subject more deserving of the attention of Parliament than a case of this kind, provided the charge is well founded. I have listened with great care, to the hon. member who has introduced the matter to bur notice tonight, and have done so as impartially as I can do in regard to a matter that for a considerable time has occupied the attention of everybody ; and I am bound to say that it does not appear to me that he has brought forward a case that would justify us in interfering. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentleman has appealed to the House of Commons, and he cannot complain of not having received cairn; attention. Yet what is the result of all these great preparations, and why is the House of Commons arrested in the progress of its labors — (cheers)4-and , why are we threatened through the land with horrible catastrophes and impending revolutions? (Laughter.) Why are we called upon to listen to a thrice-told tale^ (cheers) — by one who, like the actor who has starred, the: provinces, desires to seal his reputation in the metropolis? (Laughter.) The hon. member makes a. charge against the: late Government, but they only did what any other Administration in power would nave had to d6-^ (hear, hear)— and they only did,^ their duty ; and they would have beeri'liable to the gravest imputations' if they had not done so. He charged. the late Govern-, ment with being engaged in a dark conspiracy, but be has not brought forward the slightest evidence in support of that charge. (Cheers.) He speaks of evidence which was not called, and which might have been called, and which -would have strengthened the defendant's case. Well, we all know that when a minority is beaten in the House it's all through somebody having been snowed up. (Laughter.) Another point is one which, if true, would be of the gravest character." I allude to the allegations against the Judges. I call upon the House to observe that as regards two of these Judges: there is not the shadow of an allegation, but the name of the Lord Chief- Justice has bean mentioned. It is against . : the Lord- Chief-Justice that the. country has been agitated ; and what is the evidence which has been brought forward by the hon. member 1 in order to substantiate a charge which never ought to be ventured upon unless it can-be vindicated by testimony of the most incontestable character ? We know something about the Lord Chief Justice. He is a man of transcendant abilities. He was for a considerable time a member of this House. He did not lelong to the political connection of which I am proud to be a member, but 1 was proud of being a member of the House of Commons in which he sat. His eloquence is remembered in this House, and when he left us to, ascend to the highest place in the highest tribunal almost of the nation, he sustained his reputation with learning and majesty. But it is not only as an eminent Judge that he has distinguished himself. r He has shown ■ himself a jurist and a publicist of the highest character, and; a man who can be .intrusted with the. most important national interests, and who at a critical period vindicated those interests (loud cheers) — and sustained the honor of his country. . (Cheers. ) We are to be told we are advancing on a volcano, and that there will be a revolution to-morrow— (latighter^and if a certain resolution is not carried to-night all is to be jdark to-morrow,' and : this House of Commons may never assemble again. (Laughter.) This,; l must Bay, is one of the most preppsterpuß things— l am not : talking of ; the trialy or. of that singular historj^ which posterity will not easily forget' —but I say this interlude, this aeoonrj.

piece, this divertissement, is the most preposterous, the most absurd, and the flimsiest business that was ever brought before us. (Loud cheers.) I will venture to express my belief that the condition of England and the House of Commons is not so terrible as the hon. member has said.; I trust the:Houae. will j -to-night, in a manner, .which cannot /be mistaken, show tottie'country that we have treated this. .question in the spirit, which it deserved, and availed ourselves of this opportunity, which has been given to the honorable member in a manner becoming to this House, and, I hope, reassuring to the country. The. Hon. gentleman has had his occasion. He has been before the House of Commons assembled in no. slight numbers. He has stated his case with great ability and art. He has had every opportunity of marshalling his facts and managing his inferences. He ha 3 put forward his strongest' points; and what have they.amounted to ? They have amounted to this-r-to bring conviction to the mind of : everyone who , has heard'him that all , this agitation and all this tumult, which have. duturbed j^he; country for months, hkve no V solid foundation; that there has been no miscarriage of justice ; ,andtha,t,England and Englishmen may well be : prppd of their, legal institutions, and confident in the ad-' ministration of justice. (Loud and continued cheering.) v .: He was followed by Mr Bright, who said :— -It seems to me a most extravagant thing to say that this case has npt.be^n. < fairly tried; There has been no trial so long, I think — certainly not at leastsince the days of Warren Hastings. In : - fact, I thmk it was a trial of a length perfectly without example. Four Judges— one pf '-, them the Chief- Justice of the- Court of Common Pleas, another the Lord ChiefJustice, and two other Judges, all of reputations equal to those of any Judges on the Bench— these four Judges have had the case under their view, and their j udgment has been v peirf ec&y unanimous. . There have been two juries, and no one can say they were packed. \ No one could look over the names, or rather the. designations of the jurytaen without acknowledging that the last jury was as'reprefc' sentative in its character, and apparently asimpartial as any jury could be.'-(Hear.') There is.no criminal trial, in my opinion, in which it ia less just to quarrel with facts than this. one. (Cheers.) If you go among.the people and, teach them there . was some dark design in that trial, some dark and mysterious conspiracy," *ydu do i a great harm to then^tyqu.^ wound them in their dearest interests. (Cheers.) Ton.,turn them against the institutions which^ exist only for their guardianship, (Loud " cheers.) I confess I am ; not squeamish about the ''iscussion of, either Judges or juries. I don't want to say that either of them are immaculate ; but I say. tibat, f ri after- .the M facts,. s we r know in this case, it is a great public injury—nay, it is a great public wrongthat gentlemen of education,., occupying : a .position^^as members of House, should try to show to persons .who, by no possibility have hM'sb go'dd aiiopportuni<y.of judging the question 1 - as tlie'Ju.dgeff^ind juries whose conduct is ■ condemned, that the verdict was unjust. (Cheers.). I believe that? it .is utterly untarue'lihat thefJudges were* either^ partial or . corrupt and that the^jbryiwasinisJsakleti inlfie view' ! which^- it'tooki, '•"■ V can! take ['Wo such view, and T'can' take paf|ittnp Hsuph.-ppn-duct. (Cheers:)'' "I wdul^flphold the i institutions of this cpuni^^inrjthynmii'iia they exist— (lbtid cheers)^--in regard : to the administration of justice^ and I believe the poorest in the land has at least as great an interest in that view' as the richest in the land. (Cheers.) :It is because I believe that that I cannot for a moment think of giving" a ; ; Vote to the hon; member for Stoke. /' (Load cheers.) -^ : l .;. '■■."■. .''''^?';^.p ;.. Dr Kenealy then; iepKe.d,;ai^r^wj(jich the House divided, when the numbers were: — ..,....„ ;r ...j v -'~'^\ )i-,^rS\_:. For the motion ..v r s;.;. ' ? Against ".■■'■> .i.n •433^> . The gentlemen who " supported the. motion 1 were'DrKen^yaMi^Wh^ the two tellers, while • ber in the lobby with^thetti 'waf^Mflijo' O'Gorman. .'} ... ... "X ,-. • ■ '.<• \