One Minister of Commerce elaborated an
intricate scheme for supplanting the jute sacking by coarse linen
sacking of Russian manufacture, by granting a bonus to the makers
of the latter, and by doubling the import duties on the Scottish-
woven material. I could multiply these economic schemes
indefinitely. Now let us suppose that we had some source of
information in the Ministry of Commerce, it was obviously of
advantage to the British Government and to British traders to be
warned of the pending economic changes some two years in advance,
for nothing is ever done quickly in Russia. People in England then
knew what to expect, and could make their arrangements
accordingly. I can see nothing repugnant to the most rigid code of
honour in obtaining information of this kind.
On May 6, 1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, the newly appointed
Irish Secretary, and Mr. Burke, the Permanent Under-Secretary for
Ireland, were assassinated in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. I knew Tom
Burke very well indeed. The British Government offered a reward of
ten thousand pounds for the apprehension of the murderers, and
every policeman in Europe had rosy dreams of securing this great
prize, and was constantly on the alert for the criminals and the
reward.
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