A correspondence has appeared this week between Mr. Murphy, who
has resigned his place on the Evicted Tenants' Commission, and the head of that Commission, Sir James Mathew, on the subject of this resignation. Sir James Mathew says that in a private meeting of the Commission he had stated his intention as to procedure, and that it had been approved by all the members of the Commission. Mr. Murphy expressly denies this as to the admission of reporters. He had, he says, taken for granted that as cross-examination was not to he allowed, the proceedings would be held with closed doors, and reports issued only when, and so far as, both sides of the case could be published in the same batch of evidence ; and he further says that he was startled by the President's implied censure of Lord Clanricarde before any evidence had been taken. On the whole, Mr. Murphy seems to us to have made out a good case for wishing to lend no sanction to the procedure ; though, if he had chosen to stay, he might, perhaps, have supplemented Sir James Mathew's examinations by putting questions that would have brought out the case of the landlords and of the new tenants. In subsequently dealing with the Ponsonby estate the President appeared anxious to trim the balance a little more carefully, but to our minds the Commission seems to have been seriously compromised by the proceedings of the first day. Certainly both agents and tenants have been alarmed, and seem per- suaded that they cannot rely on due " protection " from the Commission in giving their evidence.
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