THE FELSTED TRUSTEES.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE ..SPECTATOR.1
Stn,—Mr. Grignon must thank himself if a worse construction than was intended be placed on that sentence in the letter to the parents and guardians of boys now at Felsted in which mention was made of Mr. Jones's imputations. He himself picked out and published the two charges which he says were brought against him. The one (I quote his own words) was drunkenness, the other was of so gross a nature that it could not be printed.
All the charges brought against Mr. Grignon were investigated by the Trustees as fully as the limited means at their disposal, of examining witnesses and sifting their evidence, permitted. I have a painful recollection of these charges having occupied the time and attention of the Trustees for more than nine consecutive hours on one occasion.
The charge of drunkenness was disproved and, to my mind, thoroughly refuted. There was no such charge as that hinted at by Mr. Grignon brought to the notice of the Trustees. I am aware that Mr. Grignon attached a very gross meaning to one particular charge brought against him by Mr. Jones, but that meaning was indignantly repudiated by the latter.
I fail to understand how a proposal (if made) to Mr. Grignon that he should give a testimonial to Mr. Jones could justify the continued insults which the Trustees endured so long ; I most positively affirm, however, that this proposal never was made by the Trustees.
But my object, Sir, in addressing to you these few lines (which I venture to hope may appear in your next issue) is not to defend the course pursued by the Trustees in dismissing Mr. Grignon, although I cannot admit the justice of your criticism. I am, however, desirous that there should be no pretence for saying that the Trustees are now seeking to blacken Mr. Grignon's character, by insinuating charges against him of so gross a nature as those which appear in the statement which he has published.— I am, Sir, Scc., THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRUSTEES.
(" The Chairman of the Felsted Trustees" has obviously not read the letter of "The Clerk to the Felsted Trustees," though it was written, as we are told, by the Clerk on the Trustees' sug- gestion, and as we naturally supposed, on their authority. Mr. Veley expressly states that besides the reasons given for dismissing Mr. Grignon, "there were ether circumstances present, more or less, to the minds of the Trustees, which, if the Bishop had taken a different view of his obligations, or if the documents laid before his lordship had not been sufficient to satisfy his mind, the Trustees would have felt bound to investigate more closely." And the fourth head of these is given as " the imputations made upon him in the corre- spondence printed by Mr. Jones." Can this have any meaning, except that the Trustees were not satisfied as to Mr. Grignon's in- nocence, but kept the charges formerly made against him in reserve, to fall back upon if the Bishop made difficulties?—En. Spectator.]
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