THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

Evening Star, Issue 7753, 26 October 1888, Page 3

THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, Just now, when the Loudon ‘ Times’s ’ slanders on the Irish Parliamentary party are occupying public attention, it is quite refreshing to find that Mr Labouchere, in a recent number of ‘ Truth, lets in some startling UgKt on the position, of Mr Justice Smith, one of Mr Parnell’s future judges“ When, only a week or two ago, I advised the other two Parnell Commissioners to keep an eye on Brother Smith, Brother Smith merely presented himself to my mind as an English Judge, with no worse fault than a possible infection of the current prejudices of the very best ‘ sassioty.’ lam afraid, however, that things are a great deal worse than I supposed. Hero is an extract from the Irish Land Commission returns for 1883, which seems to show ‘ Brother Smith’ in an entirely new and disagreeable light: ‘Romney Foley, Legal Sub-Commissioner (date of decision May, 1883, County Tyrone, No. 2,002); tenant, John Donnelly; landlord, A. L. Smith, Fownland, Derrynascobe; old rent, L 22 3s lOd; judicial rent, Ll7 10s. G, H. Garland, Legal Sub-Commissioner (date of decision, October, 1883, County Tyrone, No. 3,197); tenant, John Dooris; landlord, A. L. Smith, Fownland, Derrynascobe ; old rent, L 8 5s ; judicial rent, L 6 15s.’ Now, the surname of Smith, I am aware, is not altogether an uncommon one ; but the Christian names ‘ Archibald ’ and ‘ Lewin ’ in conjunction with it are not of everyday occurrence, and I confess it will be a surprise to me to learn that there are two A. L. Smiths—one the rack-renting Tyrone landlord, who in 1883 was taken into the Land Court by two of his tenants, who obtained reductions respectively about 18 and 20 per cent. ; the other the Hon. Sir Archibald Lewin Smith, a Justice of the Queen’s Bench Division, and one of the Commissioners now appointed to try the merits of this life-and-death struggle between Irish landlord and Irish tenant.”—

lam, etc., Hiekophilds, Dunedin, October 26.