THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5015, 24 May 1889, Page 2

THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

( PKB Er-ECXtaciTELEGKAPn—OoPYRIG UT.) (Per Press association.) (Received 9/15 p.m., May 23rd.) London, May 22. Before the Times-Parnell Commission Mr William O’Brien stated that his paper, United Ireland, had never incited outrage. Mr T. Harrington, M.P., the secretary of the League, had always taken measures to suppress such branches of the National League as were guilty of using strong language or encouraging outrage. He admitted being present at the convention in America when John Finerty, the dynamitard, declared that tiiey would get nothing from England except by the sword. On that occasion both ho (O’Brien) and Michael Davitt had replied advocating conciliatory tactics. Patrick Ford, editor of tho Irish Warid, appeared to regard Mr Parnell as a mortal enemy, and he had told Ford that his action was imperilling Mr Parnell’s policy. Mr O’Brien declared that personally ho had not been connected with the commission of crime directly or indirectly. Boycotting with intimidation he thought was quite justifiable and constitutional. He admitted that ha had advised the Mitchelstown tenants to fight for their homes. Ho thought it quite a legitimate course to publish tho names of members of the league, though he could not countenance the publication of tho names of those who abstained from joining the league. Ho justified resistance to ovic- ( tions, and said that his paper United Ire-

land, although it had never denounced secret societies, had tried to win young men from them. He dissented from much that had appeared in the columns of The Irishman, and declared that he had always found Patrick Egan acting in a constitutional manner. (Special to Press Association.) (Received 8.30 p.m., May 23rd.) London, May 22. Before The 2 ! imes-Parneil Commission to-day, the examination of Mr William O’Brien was continued. He stated that he had never been a sworn member of any Fenian Society, though ho had never made any pretence of loyalty until the year 1885. He also stated that disloyalty was inbred in the Irish people as the result of the oppression to which they had been subjected.