The Story of the Parnell Commission.

VI. That they did nothing to prenent crime, and expressed no bona fide disapproval of it. VII. That they subscribed to testimonials for, and were intimately associated with notorious criminals, defended persons supposed to be guilty of agrarian crime, supported their families, and made payments to secure the escape of criminals from justice. VIII. That they made payments to persons who had been injured in the commission of crime. IX. That the respondents invited the assistance and co-operation of, and accepted subscriptions of money from known advo cates of crime and dyna mite.

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the packed commission were by no means uncommon. In view of these incidents, it is impossible to doubt the inexpediency of appointing judges to hold <7//(?5/'-political inquiries; and now that the moral of the Parnell Commis sion has been emphasized by the ludicrous, Evicted Tenants' Commission, opened by the president, Sjg James (Mr. Justice) Mathew, by a violent attack on Lord Clanricarde, one of the landlords In addition to into whose conduct these general charges he was about to in it was alleged against quire, it is to be Mr. Davitt {a) that hoped that no Eng he was a member of lish government will the Fenian organiza repeat the blunder of tion, and convicted exposing Her Ma as such, and that he jesty's judges to the assisted in the formacharges of partisan ation of the Land ship, which are in League with money evitable if they are to which had been con be engaged in polit ical service. tributed for the pur pose of outrage and At length the hour crime; (b) and that of cause arrived. The he was in close and three judges took intimate association their seat on the with the party of vi Bench. We need not olence in America, dwell on their careers and was mainly in or qualities in any MR. JUSTICE SMITH strumental in bring detail; they are fa ing about the alliance miliar to our readers. between that party and the Parnellitcs and Of Lord Hannen it may suffice to say the Home Rule party in Ireland. These that no other judge in England could preliminaries having been settled, the field have presided over such a stormy inquest was left for a time to legal and political with anything like dignity, strength and quidnunes, and a riotous banquet they pro temper that he displayed. Mr. Justice Smith hardly spoke during the proceed vided for public consumption. It was an nounced that Mr. Justice Smith was a ings; and Mr. Justice Day never spoke at Unionist and a landlord; that Mr. Justice all, but sat from morning to night patiently Day was a 19th century Torquemada; that sucking his quill. These learned judges ob the Parnell letter was a forgery, and that the served, however, although they did not Irish members knew the author of it. Even speak, and we may be sure that they bore the respectable party organs on the Liberal their part in the preparation of the report. side joined in the clamor, and references to The case for the "Times" was opened by Sir