PARNELL COMMISSION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1810, 1 November 1888, Page 1

PARNELL COMMISSION.

London, October 21. Sir B. Webster, Q.OV AttorneyGeneral, in opening the case before the Times-Parnell Commission promised that he would supply the amplest evidence respecting what are known as .the forged letters, and would indicate pie sources from whence the Commission would be able to elicit evidence as to the general, charges. Referring to Mr Parnell’s utterances in America he'seid .they were distinctly seditious, it would be shown that the expenses of bis tour were paid by the League. The learned gentleman concluded by citing the numerous murders which had followed upon the strong speeches madefy members of the League inciting the people’ to acts of outrage,

1 ateu! Id bis sperch at the opening of Ihe Times-Parnoll Commission, yester.ljay. Sir Ft. K. Webster asserted that Fjird cabed to Egan to prompt Parnells to is-ne the “No rent” manifesto frpm Kilrnainham gaol, and that Egan agreed, staling that this was the only weapon th-y had left. Tlte Attorn y-Genera! commented on the failure to produce (he League’s, books of 1880 and 1881. IHe proposed to prove that the central league paid its branches to carry out boye'otting, and to commit outjages. He acquitted Davitt of being concerned in the agrarian ou ! rages of 1881 and 1802. Ega.n’s letter to Janies Carey suggesting tjiai the U iter should set to work wap fijuind in Carey’s house. Referring to jh<* Parnell letters, tiie Attorney-Gendral sanl they had been purchased by the’ Times newspaper after the fullest h«d satisfied the proprietors of that paper that they were genuine | October 24i Sir R. F. Webster, .in bis opening speech, charged Mr Parnell and pis fiiends with approving and allowing a ( system of terrorism, which absolutely necessitated murder, Mr Parnell clearly was aware of it. Sheridan prompted the outrages, while Town supplied ihe funds which enabled them to bi perpe trated. Town had. tlire.alf.ned,to resign if the League’s funds were devoted| tf , the discovery- of the- Phoenix- Park murderers. What the Times decared was tha' Campbell wrote t ho body of Mr Parnell’s letters. His o ien's were widing to disclose the sources from which the letters were received, it released from a pledge of secrecy which hod been given. One,of the duties of the Com- • mission was to elicit what had become of the missing books of the League. He said that the money subscribedi in America in aid of the Land. League was withheld until Davitt con'd induce Mr Parnell to approve of the violent programme drawn up. He intended to call persons convicted of the perpetration of outrages in Ireland as witnessess before the Commission. October 27. 3ir R. E. Webster, in his opening address before the Commission, produced the original famous Parnell letter. He intimated that he proposed to call a witness pmve Mr Parnell’s repugnance to sign the manifesto condemning the Phoenix Park murders, and he stated that lie was in 1 possession of certain documents supplied by a qlerk, who had riintil recently been employed in .the central ( ffiqemf the National League, which would prove that outrages were paid for, and that Mr Pbrs'er’s name was mentioned. One of the letters was subsequently read to show that it was ingeniously constructed in ot*der that quite another meaning could be attached to it, and that nothing .like personal outrage was suggested. Altogether there are four hundred witnesses to be examined. The Pall Mall Gazette declares that the documents in the possession of the Attorney-General came from different sources, and that whilst partly genuine they are partly bogus productions, The vendors being uncertain whether the Times would keep their names secret, offered the documents to several London papers tor £IOOO, and Ihe Times closed for a higher figure. The Parnell defence fund amounts to £II,OOO,