THE TIMES & MR PARNELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1853, 27 May 1887, Page 18

THE TIMES & MR PARNELL.

(Reuteb's Telegrams.)

Adelaide, May 24. •The following is a summary of news per Austral : —

London, April 22.

By far the most startling event of the week has been the publication by The Times of a,fac simile letter, purporting to have been written by Mr Parnell to Mr Patrick Egan excusing his public condemnation of the Phoenix Park murders. The letter is dated May 15, 1882 :—

Dear Sir, — I am not surprised at your friend's anger, but he and you should have known that to denounce the murderers was the only course open to us. To do that promptly was plainly the best policy, but you can tell him and all others concerned that though 1 regret the accident of Lord Cavendish's death, I cannot refuse to admit that Bourke got no more than his. desserts. You are at liberty to show him this, and others whom you trust, but let not my address be known. He can write to the House of Commons. — Yours very truly,

Chabi.es S. Paenell.

The body of the letter is written in a small round hand, but " Yours very truly " and the signature were in Mr Parnell's own hand.

The publication of the letter caused tremendous excitement throughout the United Kingdom. In Parliament, Chief-secretary Balfour alluded to the absence of any comment by Mr Gladstone on the charges against Mr oParnell, and challenged the latter to disprove that He was the auther of the letter published by The Times. Mr Parneir complained that he was not allowed to intervene .before Mr Balfour in order to contradict the villainous and barefaced forgery by which The Times had attempted to blacken his character. It was obviously perpetrated, he asserted, for the purpose of influencing the impending division. When the letter was brought to his notice he saw at once that it was an unblushing forgery, and, except as regards two letters, the signature in no way resembled his. He denied that he had ever heard of the letter or had directed it to be written or seen it. He indignantly disclaimed all knowledge of the Tnvincibles' conspiracy. Replying to Lord Hartington, he repudiated altogether the charge of connection with secret societies, and asserted that all his political proceedings had been aboveboard.