THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1896, 25 May 1889, Page 1

THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

London, May 21. Mr W. O'Brien, M.P., was examined by the Times-Parnell Commission to-day. In the course of bis examination he stated that the League h»d averted famine and civil war in Ireland, and declared that Michael Davitt had vehemently denounced thtf outrages com. mitted in County Mayo, hut had said that boycotting was the only weapon in the bands of the people, and that he w»s persuaded that unconstitutional action would be madness. He had undertaken to conduct the United Ireland cause constitutionally. May 22. Before the Times-Parnoll Commission Mr William O'Brien stated that his paper, United Iroland, had never incited outrage. Mr T. Harrington, M.P., the secretary of the League, had always taken measures to suppress such branches of the National League as wero guilty of using strong language or encouraging outrage. He admitted present at the convention in America when John Finerty, the dynnmitard, declared that they would get nothing from England except by the aword. On that occasion both he (O'Brien) and Michael Davitt hud replied advocating conciliatory tactics. Patrick Ford, oditor of ih« Irish World, appeared to regard Mr Parnell as » mortal enemy, and lie had told Ford that his action was imperilling Mr Pirnell's policy. Mr O'Brion didared that personally he had not been connected with the commission of crime directly or

indirectly. .Boycotting with intimidation ho thought was quite justifiable and constitutional. He admitted that ho had advised the Mitche'stown tenants to fight for their hom*s, He thought it quite a legitimate coarse to publish the names of members of the league, though he could not countenance the publication of the nnmes of those who abstained from joining the league. He justified resistance to evictions, and said that his paper, United Ireland, although it had never denounced secret societies, bad tried to wiu young nv-n from them. He dissented from much that had appeared in the columns of the Irishman, and declared that he had always found Patrick Egau acting in a constitutional manner. He stated that he had never been a sworn member of any Fenian Society, though he had never m»de any pretence of loyalty until the yeir lsßs. tie also stated that disloyalty was inbred in the Irish people as the result of the oppression to which they h»d been subjected.