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attacks and takes away the character of another individual,
without being able to justify what he has done,
is guilty of what I may call moral assassination. The
resolution which I now submit to you is as follows:—
"That the attention of this Board having been called to the
"statements made by Sir Charles Dilke in the Kensington
"Town Hall and the House of Commons, which are absolutely
"without foundation, this Board expresses it deep regret that
"a Cabinet Minister should deem it consistent with his high
"and responsible position to make such statements without
"ascertaining whether they were true, and hereby enters it
"emphatic protest against the unfair and cowardly means
" which are being employed to circulate such false reports."
In dealing with this question there is no need that I
should indulge in any wild or excitable statements. I
shall simply read to you the statements as made in other
places and reported in the public press, and then against
those statements I shall lay before you simple facts,
and shall leave those facts to stand against the statements,
and gentlemen can then form their own conclusions.
Speaking in the Town Hall, Kensington, Sir Charles
Dilke said:—
"It had been shown by the Chairman of the Sanitary
" Committee of that (the Clerkenwell) Vestry, that ho had, at every
" turn, been thwarted in his efforts on behalf the ratepayers, by the
"interested opposition of those who controlled the Vestry."
Now, it is my business to tell you how far this statement
is borne out by facts; and I regret exceedingly in
doing so that the late Chairman of the Sanitary Committee
is not here in his place to night. I regret it for this
reason; Mr. Jennings and myself are very old friends.
There is no Member of this Board for whom I have for
years entertained a greater respect. I knew him long
before I thought we should ever come in contact on the
Yestry of Clerkenwell. I have and do esteem him as
a gentleman of the highest integrity; and until I have
it from his own lips, I will not believe he ever made
such a statement. And I will tell you why. When
was he elected Chairman of the Sanitary Committee ?
In the month of May, 1883. Now, gentlemen, in order
that I should not indulge in any rash statements, I
have made it my business—instead of taking my usual