1 APRIL 1893, Page 3

The Daily Chronicle of Tuesday described Mr. T. W. Russell

as "a tireless mercenary of Unionism." Mr. Russell brought this sentence before the House of Commons on Wed- nesday as a breach of privilege, explaining what every one who knows anything of him knows to be the truth, that since he entered Parliament seven years ago, he had never received. a farthing from the Unionist or any other party. Mr. Glad- stone treated the article as a clear breach of privilege, though he evidently doubted whether it would be wise for Mr. Russell to insist on so regarding it, a view ill which Mr. Goschen and Sir Henry James fully concurred; and the subject was very wisely allowed to drop. The Daily Chronicle explained on Thursday that the writer only meant by a " mercenary " a franc.tireur, or a condottiere—both of these phrases being about as inapplicable to Mr. Russell as " mercenary ; " but surely the Daily Chronicle does not often employ writers who are so little able to say what they mean ?