The week has been full of correspondence by the Irish
Party on the O'Donnell libel case. There have been a letter and a still fuller statement by Mr. O'Donnell himself, a news agency statement by Mr. Parnell, a speech by Mr. Davitt, and a letter by Mr. Biale, Mr. O'Donnell's solicitor, on the subject. From these sources we gather that Mr. Davitt had been disposed to advise Mr. Parnell to give his help to Mr. O'Donnell, and that Mr. O'Donnell's solicitor, Mr. Biale,
thought that Mr. Parnell had offered, through Mr. Michael •
Davitt, "every assistance in his power in the case of O'Donnell
v. Walter and another ;" further, that as late as April 27th last, Mr. Parnell had written,—" I think it would be most desirable if I could have an interview with O'Donnell at as early a date as possible." On the other hand, Mr. Parnell has stated to a press agency, according to Tuesday's Times, that except as regards two interviews between Mr. Parnell and Mr. O'Donnell's solicitor, Mr. Parnell "consistently declined to give or to hold any communication" either with Mr. O'Donnell or his solicitor, and that Mr. Davitt, whom Mr. O'Donnell says that he regarded as acting on Mr. Parnell's behalf, "acted entirely on his own responsibility," a view which Mr. Davitt in his speech confirms. So far, then, as Mr. Parnell is concerned, he admits only that for a short time he did think of taking Mr. O'Donnell into his confidence, but that on consideration he reverted to his first resolve to have no more than he could help to do with Mr. O'Donnell.
