Parliament has risen to-day, and for six months to come Lord Salisbury will be able to work his sweet will in foreign affairs untrammelled by the inconvenient questions of legislators. But fortunately the Peking correspondent of the Times seems well able to keep us informed of every step which is taken by the Tsungli Yamen under pressure of the Powers..In Home legislation the Government have no great. achievements to boast of. The Vaccination Bill has been passed, the Lords having given way on the subject of the Conscience Clause, and what has been forcibly called free trade in smallpox has therefore been introduced. Still there are hopes that the measure will do at least as much good as harm. Though it enables "conscientious objectors" to keep their children unvaccinated, it renders vaccination so much easier and safer for the off in the proportion of the vaccinated will merely apathetic that possibly the falling-
not be very great The only measure of first-rate importance which has been passed into law has been the Irish Local Government Bill, though a few other useful nonparty measures, such as those enabling accused persons to give evidence, establishing a teaching university for London, and preventing abuses in church patronage have also been added to the Statute. Book.
MR, HOOLEY'S ACCUSATIONS, Mr, Hooley has been ill, and has consequently been absent from two consecutive heatings of his bankruptcy proceedings. We have therefore had no new disclosures importance. But there have been some very interesting developments of the old disclosures. One' result of the further proceedings has been to show that while there can be no doubt that several noblemen and other persons in positions of trust grabbed all they could get from Hooley with very little scruple of honour or honesty, yet some of Hooley's accusations were made with great recklessness. It is therefore only fair to reserve judgment on all his charges until they have been completely investigated. 'The accused persons have been allowed to come forward at the Bankruptey Court and give their explanations, although, except where they happen to be creditors, they have technically no locus standi in' the Court, But they have to submit themselves to cross-examination, and in consequence of Mr. Hooley's illness the cross-examination has in most cases been deferred. Still in one or two cases the accused have succeeded in putting a very different complexion on the facts—notably Mr. Duguid, whose case I referred to last week, and Mr. Mackworth Praed, the manager of Lloyd's Bank. Mr. Mackworth has always been regarded in the city as a man of the very highest character, and it is not likely that his vindication not only of his own character but of the directors of his bank, which appears most complete, will be shaken in cross-examination. Mr. Hooley, itappenrs offered Mr. Praed £35,000 down to Jeave the service of the Bank and devote his financial abilities to Mr. Hooley's schemes; but the offer was declined. Today there was a very exciting incident -outside the Court. - Mr: G. Lawson Johnston, son of the managing Director of the Bovril Company, approached Mr. Hooley and said: "If you fling. any more money at us"—meaning apparently the Johnston family and the Bovril directors—*T will tell the Court what I know about your wife's funds." The reply was a out across the head from Mr. Hooley's cane—a retort which has: raised Mr. Hooley. somewhat in the public estimation. Mr. Johnston has apologised in Court for his conduct and therefore proceedings for contempt of Court are not to be taken against him as they have been against Earl Delawarr and the other persons accused, of having attempted to suborn Mr. Hooley to perjury. With regard to Mr. Broadley—sometime known as Broadley Pasha—who is said to have acted as Mr. Hooley's bribing agent, a question was asked in Parliament, the other day, with regard to a warrant for his arrest on a criminal charge which was issued in India some years ago. The facts in connection with that charge have been pretty openly discussed in London for some years past, but whether they ever reached the ears of the noblemen who negotiated so freely with Mr. Broadley it is of course impossible to say.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.