We have not done yet done with what Mr. George R. Sims calls our Dreyfus case. Acting at' the instigation of the "Daily Mail," which promises to recoup him any loss he may suffer by so doing, Mr. Adolf Beck has declined the solatium of £2,000 fered to him by ths Treasury. Seems that the offer was coupled with the ion that Mr. Beck should accept it, ire satisfaction and should not take proceedings against anyone whom he Tegard as responsible for his unjust imprisonment; and there is a strong public demand that the matter shall not be hushed up, but thoroughly inquired into, not by a departmental committee, but by an independent legal committee. 'Thera various opinions as to who should form this Committee; but everyone seems to are that, Sir Edward Clarke should, if possible, be induced to serve on it. His unique position at the Bar, coupled with his beolutely index rident' position—it is tivelve yea since he cease t be connected with the Government—mark him out as the best man who could be selected.
Legislators and Character.
An excellent feature of the last General i i'l-fortune which attended all tue candidates whose commercial ty had at one time or another called in question, 'The subject hus lately been raised anew in two constitu cies. Lort Hugh Cecil deserves the credit for it in one case—that of Thanet where the Unionis:. organisation has solvered Mr. Harry Marks of the ' Fina' cil News," us herr candidate in plice of Me. "Jimmy" Lowther, who is retieing on the ground of ill-health, and whose condition unhuppity gives rise t grave fears, Ib is a subject which has, of course, to be trested very eautivusly, Mr. Murks is " very wealthy man; and any journ which said a litle nun it could easily prove might be involved in a costly Jaw-suit—though it is true that Mr, H of the © Critic," nas done his hest to pro: yoke Mr, Marks to such action nnd faild, Suill, it ible fr anyone who remembers the various law cases in which Mr, Masks has figured in ons expacity or another from time to time to deny the force ofa letter -igued "Unionist" which appears in ©The Times" this morning. To is the duty," he says "of the Central Association and the leaders of the patty to state clearly whether they consider Me. Marks a fit candidate for Parliament.
Continued silence: will certainly' be construed as an indication thit a groat political party is utterly indifferent to the character ofts supporters in the House of Commons." Lhe other case is that of Mr. Bottomley, who is standing us Liberal candidate for a Metropolitan constituency. His case is perhaps not on all fours with the other. He voluntarily made good from his own pocket a proportion of the losses sustained by the poorer victims of the Hansard failure; but that his business is that of a colossal gambler and agent of gamblers in stocks and shares is beyond dispute. Something may no doubt be urvad in favour of gambling, and it is difficult, to define where in share transietions, legitimate speculation ends and gambling begins; bat there are few who Will not agree that the fewer professional company promoters we have in the House of Commons the better,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.