During the week an informal Commission has been sitting in
secret in Dublin Castle to investigate the loss of the Crown jewels. The result of the procedure adopted has been to, fill the air with rumours of a very disagreeable kind in regard to many persons and the circumstances of the theft. It is highly probable that the most sensational and painful of these rumours have not a word of truth in them, but at the same time they are calculated to do a great deal of harm, and must be deeply regretted by all good citizens. In our opinion, the policy of secrecy was not only most unwise, but also most unfair. The more disagreeable and scandalous in appearance the incident, the more essential it is that if action is taken by the authorities such action should be of the most thorough and the most open character. In that way only can public confidence be maintained. For ourselves, we believe that dirty linen is much better washed in public than not washed at all, but if the Executive come to a contrary decision, the only wise course is that of absolute secrecy. Half-measures and half-inquiries, and secrecy tempered with scandal, are the worst of all courses.
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