_Times_, narrowed to the issue of the letters. The old arguments
against an action were again pressed upon him. He insisted, on the other
side, that he was not afraid of cross-examination; that they might
cross-examine as much as ever they pleased, either about the doings of the
land league or the letters; that his hands would be found to be clean, and
the letters to be gross (M141) forgeries. The question between us was
adjourned; and meanwhile he fell in with my suggestion that he should the
next day make a personal statement to the House. The personal statement
was made in his most frigid manner, and it was as frigidly received. He
went through the whole of the letters, one by one; showed the palpable
incredibility of some of them upon their very face, and in respect of
those which purported to be written by himself, he declared, in words free
from all trace of evasion, that he had never written them, never signed
them, never directed nor authorised them to be written.

So the matter was left on the evening of Friday (July 6, 1888). On Monday
Mr. Parnell came to the House with the intention to ask for a select
committee. The feeling of the English friend to whom he announced his
intention in the lobby, still was that the matter might much better be
left where it stood. The new batch of letters had strengthened his
position, for the Kilmainham letter was a fraud upon the face of it, and a
story that he had given a hundred pounds to a fugitive from justice after
the murders, had been demolished. The press throughout the country had
treated the subject very coolly. The government would pretty certainly
refuse a select committee, and what would be the advantage to him in the
minds of persons inclined to think him guilty, of making a demand which he
knew beforehand would be declined? Such was the view now pressed upon Mr.
Parnell. This time he was not moved. He took his own course, as he had a
paramount right to do. He went into the House and asked the ministers to
grant a select committee to inquire into the authenticity of the letters
read at the recent trial. Mr. Smith replied, as before, that the House was
absolutely incompetent to deal with the charges. Mr. Parnell then gave
notice that he would that night put on the paper the motion for a
committee, and on Thursday demand a day for its discussion.

When Thursday arrived, either because the hot passion of the majority was
irresistible, or from a cool calculation of p