evolution and ethics and other essays-第50章

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to…day；　but　find　that　I　was　too　late。　I　shall　have　it　first　thing
to…morrow　morning。　You　will　find　that　it　is　quite　clear；　and
conclusively　disposes　of　the　alleged　admission　of　untruthfulness。
Again　thanking　you　for　your　courtesy；

　　　　　　　　　　　〃I　am；　yours　faithfully；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　W。　T。　Stead。〃

Thus　it　appears　that　the　letter　which　Mr。　Stead　wrote　to　me　on　the　13th
of　January　does　not　contain　one　word　of　that　which　he　ways　it
contains；　in　the　statement　which　appears　in　the　〃Times〃　to…day。
Moreover；　the　letter　of　mine　to　which　Mr。　Stead　refers　in　his　first
communication　to　me　is　not　the　letter　which　appeared　on　the　13th；　as
he　states；　but　that　which　you　published　on　December　27th；　1890。
Therefore；　it　is　not　true　that　Mr。　Stead　wrote　〃at　once。〃　On　the
contrary；　he　allowed　nearly　a　fortnight　to　elapse　before　he　addressed
me　on　the　10th　of　January　1891。　Furthermore；　Mr。　Stead　suppresses　the
fact　that；　since　the　13th　of　January；　he　has　had　in　his　possession　my
offer　to　publish　his　version　of　the　story；　and　he　leads　the　reader　to
suppose　that　my　only　answer　was　that　he　〃had　better　write　to　＇311＇　you
direct。　All　the　while；　Mr。　Stead　knows　perfectly　well　that　I　was
withheld　from　making　public　use　of　his　letter　of　the　10th　by　nothing
but　my　scruples　about　using　a　document　which　was　marked　〃private〃；　and
that　he　did　not　give　me　leave　to　quote　his　letter　of　the　10th　of
January　until　after　he　had　written　that　which　appeared　yesterday。

And　I　add：

As　to　the　subject…matter　of　Mr。　Stead's　letter；　the　point　which　he
wishes　to　prove　appears　to　be　thisthat　Mr。　Bramwell　Booth　did　not
make　a　false　statement；　but　that　he　withheld　from　the　officers　of
justice；　pursuing　a　most　serious　criminal　inquiry；　a　fact　of　grave
importance；　which　lay　within　his　own　knowledge。　And　this　because　he
had　promised　Mr。　Stead　to　keep　the　fact　secret。　In　short；　Mr。　Bramwell
Booth　did　not　say　what　was　wrong；　but　he　did　what　was　wrong。

I　will　take　care　to　give　every　weight　to　the　correction。　Most　people；
I　think；　will　consider　that　one　of　the　〃main　pillars　of　my　argument；〃
as　Mr。　　Stead　is　pleased　to　call　them；　has　become　very　much
strengthened。

＇312＇

　　　　　　　　LEGAL　OPINIONS　RESPECTING
　　　　　　　　　〃GENERAL〃　BOOTH'S　ACTS。

In　referring　to　the　course　of　action　adopted　by　〃General〃　Booth　and
Mr。　　Bramwell　Booth　in　respect　of　their　legal　obligations　to　other
persons；　or　to　the　criminal　and　civil　law；　I　have　been　as　careful　as　I
was　bound　to　be；　to　put　any　difficulties　suggested　by　mere　lay
commonsense　in　an　interrogative　or　merely　doubtful　form；　and　to
confine　myself；　for　any　positive　expressions；　to　citations　from
published　declarations　of　the　judges　before　whom　the　acts　of　〃General〃
Booth　came；　from　reports　of　the　Law　Courts；　and　from　the　deliberate
opinions　of　legal　experts。　I　have　now　some　further　remarks　to　make　on
these　topics。

　　　I。　The　observations　at　p。　305　express；　with　due　reserve；　the
impression　which　the　counsel's　opinions；　quoted　by　〃General〃　Booth's
solicitors；　made　on　my　mind。　They　were　written　and　sent　to　the　printer
before　I　saw　the　letter　from　a　〃Barrister　NOT　Practising　on　the　Common
Law　Side；〃　and　those　from　Messrs。　Clarke　and　Calkin　and　Mr。　George
Kebbell；　which　appeared　in　the　〃Times〃　of　February　3rd　and　4th。

These　letters　fully　bear　out　the　conclusion　which　I　had　formed；　but
which　it　would　have　＇313＇　been　presumptuous　on　my　part　to　express；
that　the　opinions　cited　by　〃General〃　Booth's　solicitors　were　like　the
famous　broken　tea…cups　〃wisely　ranged　for　show〃；　and　that；　as　Messrs。
Clarke　and　Calkin　say；　they　〃do　not　at　all　meet　the　main　points　on
which　Mr。　Hatton　advised。〃　I　do　not　think　that　any　one　who　reads
attentively　the　able　letter　of　〃A　Barrister　NOT　Practicing　on　the
Common　Law　Side〃　will　arrive　at　any　other　conclusion；　or　who　will　not
share　the　very　natural　desire　of　Mr。　Kebbell　to　be　provided　with　clear
and　intelligible　answers　to　the　following　inquiries：

　　　（1）　Does　the　trust　deed　by　its　operation　empower　any　one　legally　to
call　upon　Mr。　Booth　to　account　for　the　application　of　the　funds？

　　　（2）　In　the　event　of　the　funds　not　being　properly　accounted　for；　is
any　one；　and；　if　so；　who；　in　a　position　to　institute　civil　or　criminal
proceedings　against　any　one；　and　whom；　in　respect　of　such　refusal　or
neglect　to　account？

　　　（3）　In　the　event　of　the　proceedings；　civil　or　criminal；　failing　to
obtain　restitution　of　misapplied　funds；　is　or　are　any　other　person　or
persons　liable　to　make　good　the　loss？

On　December　24th；　1890；　a　letter　of　mine　appeared　in　the　〃Times〃　（No。
V。　　above）　in　which　I　put　questions　of　the　same　import；　and　asked　Mr。
Booth　if　he　would　not　be　so　good　as　to　take　counsel's　opinion　on　the
〃trusts〃　of　which　so　＇314＇　much　has　been　heard　and　so　little　seen；　not
as　they　stood　in　1878；　or　in　1888；　but　as　they　stand　now？　Six　weeks
have　elapsed；　and　I　wait　for　a　reply。

It　is　true　that　Dr。　Greenwood　has　been　authorized　by　Mr。　Booth　to
publish　what　he　calls　a　〃Rough　outline　of　the　intended　Trust　Deed〃
（〃General　Booth　and　His　Critics；〃　p。　120）；　but　unfortunately　we　are
especially　told　that　it　〃does　not　profess　to　be　an　absolutely　accurate
analysis。〃　Under　these　circumstances　I　am　afraid　that　neither　lawyers
nor　laymen　of　moderate　intelligence　will　pay　much　attention　to　the
assertion；　that　〃it　gives　a　fair　idea　of　the　general　effect　of　the
draft；〃　even　although　〃the　words　in　quotation　marks　are　taken　from　it
verbatim。〃

These　words；　which　I　give　in　italics；　（1）　define　the　purposes　of　the
scheme　to　be　〃for　the　social　and　moral　regeneration　and　improvement　of
persons　needy；　destitute；　degraded；　or　criminal；　in　some　manner
indicated；　implied；　or　suggested　in　the　book　called　'In　Darkest
England。'〃　Whence　I　apprehend　that；　if　the　whole　funds　collected　are
applied　to　〃mothering　society〃　by　the　help　of　speculative　attorney
〃tribunes　of　the　people；〃　the　purposes　of　the　trust　will　be
unassailably　fulfilled。　（2）　The　name　is　to　be　〃Darkest　England
Scheme；〃　（3）　the　General　of　the　Salvation　Army　is　to　be　〃Director　of
the　Scheme。〃　Truly　valuable　information　all　this！　But　taking　it　for
what　it　is　worth；　the　＇315＇　public　must　not　be　misled　into　supposing
that　it　has　the　least　bearing　upon　the　questions　to　which　neither　I；
nor　anybody　else；　has　yet　been　able　to　obtain　an　intelligible　answer；
and　that　is；　where　are　the　vast　funds　which　have　been　obtained；　in　one
way　or　another；　during　the　last　dozen　years　in　the　name　of　the
Salvation　Army？　Where　is　the　presumably　amended　Trust　Deed　of　1888？　I
ask　once　more：　Will　Mr。　Booth　submit　to　competent　and　impartial　legal
scrutiny　the　arrangements　by　which　he　and　his　successors　are　prevented
from　dealing　with　the　funds　of　the　so…called　〃army　chest〃　exactly　as
he　or　they　may　please？

II。　With　respect　to　the　〃Eagle〃　case；　I　am　advised　that　Dr。　Greenwood；
whose　good　faith　I　do　not　question；　has　been　misled　into
misrepresenting　it　in　the　appendix　to　his　pamphlet。　And　certainly；　the
evidence　of　authoritative　records　which　I　have　had　the　opportunity　of
perusing；　appears　to　my　non…legal　mind　to　be　utterly　at　variance　with
the　statement　to　which　Dr。　　Greenwood　stands　committed。　I　may　observe；
further；　that　the　excuse　alleged　on　behalf　of　Mr。　Booth；　that　he
signed　the　affidavit　set　before　him　by　his　solicitors　without　duly
considering　its　contents；　is　one　which　I　should　not　like　to　have　put
forward　were　the　case　my　own。　It　may　be；　and　often　is；　necessary　for　a
person　to　sign　an　affidavit　without　＇316＇　being　able　fully　to
appreciate　the　technical　language　in　which　it　is　couched。　But　his
solicitor　will　always　instruct　him　as　to　the　effect　of　these　terms。
And；　in　this　particular　case　where　the　whole　matter　turns　on　Mr。
Booth's　personal　intentions；　it　was　his　plainest　duty　to　inquire；　very
seriously；　whether　the　legal　phraseology　employed　would　convey　neither
more　nor　less　than　such　intentions　to　those　who　would　act　on　the
affidavit；　before　he　put　his　name　to　it。

III。　With　respect　to　Mr。　Bramwell　Booth's　case；　I　refer　the　reader　to
p。　311。

IV。　As　to　Mr。　Booth…Clibborn's　misrepresentations；　see　above；　pp。　298；
299。

This　much　for　the　legal　questions　which　have　been　raised　by　various
p