PHOENIX PARK AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 5

PHOENIX PARK AGAIN.

SCENE IN HOUSE. PARNELL ANDCAVENDISH-BURKE MURDERS. UNIONIST REFERENCE ENRAGES THE IRISH. SIR ROBERT ANDERSON, LE CARON, AND PIGOTT. By Tclci:raph-Pre3B Assoclation-OoDyriirhl. (Roc. April 22, 10.20 p.m.) London, ( April. 22. A disorderly debate, concluded only by the application of tho closure, took place in the House of Commons,on the disclosure made by Sir Robert Anderson in "Blackwood's Magazine" concerning the authorship of the articles in '.'The Times" on "Parnellism and Crime."

[Sir Robert Anderson was employed at. the Home Office as adviser in. matters relating to political crime from 1868, and from 1888 was head o£ the Criminal Investigation Department. He was also at one time Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. In 1901 he retired. In his- series of articles in "Blackwood's Magazine," he recently admitted authorship of articles in "Tho Times" on "Pnrnellism and Crime," published in ISB7. Being at the time in Government employ as a crime investigator, it is held by the Nationalists that he gave "The Times" for political purposes, the use of State information. In a quite recent letter to "Tho,Times," Sir Eobt. Anderson, pleading a typewriting error in connection with the "Blackwood's" article, has sou&lit to limit his authorship to tho "Parnellism, and Crime" articles of May, 1887; and he declares that his. aim was to defeat a plot for 1 a dynamite explosion at Westminster AJibey on the occasion of Queen Victoria's. Jubilee in June, 18S7. Dunug the year 1887 tlie second Salisbury Government was. in power. In' a recent debate in the House.of Commons tho Pnmo Minister, Mr. Aequith, admitted that tho articles had been written when Sir Kohert. Anderson was, in the Crown's employment, and added that he could not use language sufficiently' strong to condemn Sir Robert's breach of official duty in. supplying "The Times" with confidential doonments.] .■-.•■•■•

Scotland Yard Denounced. Mr. T. P. O'Connor (Nationalist member for Scotland division of Liverpool) moved to reduce the vote of £900 in respect of Sir Robert Anderson's pension. 'Mr. O'Connor uttered a fiery denunciation of Scotland Yard, and the Conservative Government in assisting ,"Thb'Times", to-make a case against the Par.nellites. . ' Mr. Winston Chuicbill, Homo Secretary, declared that Sir Robert Anderson's articles did not contain Secrot Service revelations, and . therefore ho did not' think that the case justified tho depriving of Sir Robert ■ Anderson of ; hia pension. ■'■-.- Tho Ex-Cliief Secretary.. .« . , The Leader of the Opposition, M¥. Balfour (who -from 1887 to 1891 was Chief Secretary for Iroland .in the Salisbury Government),, justified tho action, of the" Government ill-1887 and 1888 in connection with Mr. Parnell. Referring to Sir Robert. Anderson, Mt. Balfour said it was important that the lips of Civil Servants should be sealed aftei ,thei> retirement. . . '

The Prime Ministdr, Mr. Asqnitb, denounced "jThe Times" for sending its repreietttaijves;' accomjaiVie'd o by an exdetective, into the cells'of "men' Ser-ving-life with'the object of' inducing, them.to give evidenced Doubt-; less Sir Robert Anderson -was,'supplied! by Henri Le .Caron (Government-paid. Secret Service : agent) with documents which came into his possession as a servant 'of the Stato. Though 'the "Blackwood's". article was a grave indiscretion, the caso was not one for tho withdrawal of Sir Robert Anderson's pension. •-'. ■ . - :

Phoenix Park Murders Recalled. ! Some. hours of desultory. debate followed. 'A .scene arose in" consequence of a remark .by the Right Hon:' J. H. M. ..Campbell, Unionist member for Dublin . University, who was AttorneyGeneral for Ireland in the, Unionist Government of 1905. Mr. Campbell incidentally let fall the' Words: ■ —"apart from the question of the- privity of Mrl.ParneU to the.two terrible murders in the Phoenix l'ark." . The Irish Nationalists .becamo frenzied at these. • words,, and shouted, "Shame!" "Withdraw!" '. Mr. John Redmond, Leader of the Nationalists, declared that Commissioners' who inquired into tho o'harges against Mr. Parnell expressly acquitted him of complicity in the Phoenix Park murders. .' , . . Mr. Campbell replied: "I am willing to accept that if you will agree to the other findings of the Commissioners." Chairman Falls to Secure Order. There was a prolonged uproar. The Deputy-Speaker and Chairman of Ways I and Moans (Mr. Alfred Emm.ott) made repeated interventions from the Chair, but the Nationalists refused to allow Mr. Campbell to continue his speech. Mocking laughter' greeted the Chairman's plea that his duty was to,carry out the rules of order. ' • ' . • ' Mr. William Redmond (brother of theNationalist Leader): "You are here to carry out the rules of decency. , ' Shouts of "Castle. Hack," ' "Pigott,"and "Send for the Speaker," were repeated again and again. ,Mr Campbell, unperturbed, stood at the table waiting for tho uproar to subside. . The Closure Applied. Mr. Haldane, Secretary for War, and other members, appealed to the Nationalists, but , the uproar became more deafening. Finally tho Chairman accepted a suggestion by Mr. Churchill to closure tho debate, as the only method of ending tho disorder. The motion to. apply the closure ivas carried, the voting being: For the closure 232 Against the closure- 111 , Majority for 121 Tho result was greeted with tho waving of hats and hands, and frantic cheers for Mr. Parnell. Mr. O'Connor's motion to reduce Sir Robert Anderson's pension was negatived by 164 votes to 94.

SOME OF THE PRINCIPALS. , PIGOTT THE FORGER, LE OARON THE SPY. ' In Phoonix Park, Dublin, on May 6, 1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, tho Chief- Secretary for Ireland, and Mr. Dilrke, tho Under-Secrotary, wore murdered by. tho Invinoiblos, an Irish secret society. The assassins escaped, but were' afterwards brought to justice tliroiißh tho disclosures of an informer named Carey. Carey was subsetjuentl,y murdered in Sonth Africa by Patrick O'Donuell, who was brought to England and hanged on Doceinbor 17, ISS3.

On April 18, 1887, "The Times" published the facsimile of a letter alleged to bo signed by Mr. Parnell (dated May 15. 1882), in which ho is mado to say "though I regret the accident of Lord Cavendish's death, I cannot refuse to admit that Burke got no more than his deserts." This letter Mr. Parnell in Parliament termed an "anonymous fabrication."

After tho Parnell .Commission had heard evidence, Richard Pigott, described a-s an Irish, journalist, fled to Paris, and confessed that ho had committed perjury and had forged some of tho alleged letters, including tho above. On March 1, 1889, he committed suicide at Madrid.

Henri Lo Caron, whoso real name was Thomas Miller Beach, was born at Colchester on September 26, 1841, and fought for the North in the American Civil War as Henri Lβ Caron. In lßbo he gave information as to tho Fenian raid into Canada, and from that time till 1889 acted for the British Government as a paid military spy. At the same time be remained for years on tho most intimate terms with the most extreme men in the Fenian organisation. His whole career came out before the Darnell Commission, and thus was put an end to. Thereafter, he had to be constantly guarded, his acquaintances wore hampered from seeing him, and 1 he died (the victim of a painful disease) on April 1, 1894. He published the story of his lifo, "Twenty-five Years in the Secret Service." . i

PARNELL COMMISSION'S REPORT,

A SUMMARY. '■ During 1887 '.'The Times" newspaper published, a sones'of articles headed • i arnelbsm and Crime" containing serious allegations against the Irish mombers of Parliament, notably Mr. Parnell. Mr. Hugh O'Donnell in No- «™ k °» ght / l [bel aotion a E ainst Tbe Times,"and the Attorney General, membe d rs. tllo ) CllargeS ; 3gai,6t thcse

A motion was then made in the House of Commons in, 1888, for a Committee of the House to sit and inquire into tho charges.; This was rejected, Dm; a Bpecial commission was appointed under the Special Commission Act, n Sir James Hannen, Sir John Day, and Sir Archibald Smith, three eminent judges, wore appointed commissioners to "inquire into and report upon the charges and'allegations made against certain members of Parliament and other persons in the course of tho Proceedings in O'Donnell v. Walter " The Court sat on 129 days, and is-' sued its report m February 1890. Tho commissioners acquitted the respondent mombers of many of tho charges, but found them guilty of others, especially of mcituig to sedition and of attempting to impoverish, and expel tlie Msh landlords Tho following £ a summ3r y or the nndmgs:— ■ (1) Collectively Nationalist M.P.'s not guilty of consp-iracy to establish absolute independence of ; Ireland. Somo * &1' J how ? v - er ' mh Mr. Davitt, established and joined Land Leacrub organisation with the intention, .bV its moans to bring about the absolute inaepondence. of Ireland as a separate nation.

. conspired by coercion and intimidation ;to promote agrarian agitation against payment of tents for the purpose of impoverishing and expelling the.- Irish landlords, who were styled the .'English Garrison." . (3) Acquitted of insincerity, in denunciation of Phoonix Park murders. Facsimile letter" a forgery, (4) Disseminated newspapers tending to "jcite to sedition and other crime. (5) Did not directly incite persons to commission of crime dtber than intimidation ; but in consequence of that incitement crime and outrage woro committed. ■' Not proved that they, made payments to incite persons to commit crime. . . ■ (6) Some.did.express, bona 'fide dieapprpvarof crimo and outrage; but they ■did' , not denounce intimidation which 'led to crime and outrage, but persisted in it With knowledge of its. effect; . -. (7) They defended persons charged with agrarian crimo and. supported their families; but not proved that they subscribed to testimonials for, or were intimate with, notorious' , criminals, or that they made payments to procure tn e escape,of criminals from.justice. (8) lhey did make payments to persons injured in the commission of crime. . ,

(9) They invited assistance and cooperation of, and accepted subscriptions of money from •Patrick Ford, a known advocate of crime and tbe use of dyna"tnite. ' ■■'■.' "■

: (10). Not proved that they knew that the'Clan-na-Gael controlled' the league, or was collecting-money for the: Parliamentary Fund. '. I l * • (11) Proved that respondents invited end obtained tho assistance and cooperation of Physical Force party in America, including the Clan-na-Gael, and in order to obtain that assistance abstained from ; repudiating ■or condemning the. action of that party. Three epeciutt charges , against Mr. Parnell were rejected; two against Mr. Davitt: (1) That, he used funds contributed for the purpose of outrage and crime to form the Land League, was disproved, inasmuch as the fund specified was used for the promotion of the agitation which led up to the formation of the Land League. This money Mr. Davitt' returned out of, his own resources. (2) The commission found that Mr. Davitt was in close and intimate association with, the party of violence in America for tho purpose of bringing about the alliance between that party and the Parnellite and Home Rule party in -and that he was mainly instrumental in bringing about the allianco referred to.