The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, November 15, 1888. THE TIMES AND IRELAND.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 222, 15 November 1888, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Thursday, November 15, 1888. THE TIMES AND IRELAND.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’at at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

Papers to hand by the last mail bring the account of the opening of the Commission appointed by the Imperial Parliament to enquire into the truth or otherwise of the allegations and charges made against the Irish Nationalist members. It will be remembered that last July, in the great libel case, O’Donnell v. Walter and another, the Attorney-General, acting on behalf of the defendants, printer and publisher of the Times newspaper, made certain charges against the Parnellites which went to show that those men if not personally criminals of a deep dye were at least intimately connected with those who revelled in murder and criminal brutality. Mr Parnell, whilst denying the allegations, refused to bring an action for libel on the ground that every man is presumed by English law to be innocent until he be proved guilty, and therefore it was the place of the Times to prove its allegations and not for him to disprove them. After considerable time and trouble the Government at length granted this Commission, 'with full powers to enquire into all the matters in question. It must be gratify*

ing to Parnell to find that what he struggled for so long and determinedly has been granted to him at last. The President of the Commission, Sir James Hannen, in his opening remarks said they had determined to treat the matter as far as possible like an action, and therefore the Times would be called on to prove its case, and he ordered the Times to formulate its charges. What has happened since has been meagrely conveyed to us by telegram. We have before frequently had to comment upon the unreliability of telegraphic news upon the Irish question. Cablegram after cablegram have already been sent, conveying the purport of the AttorneyGeneral’s opening speech I Whilst the real evidence that is being given is a perfect blank to us. If a little of it is vouchsafed to us it only precedes by a short time somebody else's contradiction of it. But that the Commission has got well into its work everyone— Ireland’s sympathisers as well—must be glad to hear, and if the President only carries out his intentions announced at the opening, to probe the matter thoroughly, it will be an immense relief to all concerned to know the truth.