SYDNEY CIVIC SCANDAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18233, 18 November 1924, Page 9

SYDNEY CIVIC SCANDAL.

(bt cable—peess association—coptoight) (AUBTEALIAN AHD N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION,) (Received November 17th, 7.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, November 17. There was an unexpected development of the Cropley Enquiry to-day. When the Commission met, Mr "Watt, counsel for Alderman Walker, announced that he had obtained a (Supreme Court rule nisi prohibiting the enquiry from proceeding. Ho said he had taken this step .in consequence of certain statements made on Friday regarding his client when the latter was absent. He took it as a fundamental principle of justice that, if charges were made against a man, they should be made when ho was present and able to answer. Mr Watt entered a protest against these proceedings being kept in the records of the case. The Commissioners adjourned tilt enquiry until the writ is dealt with on Thursday. In support of the rule nisi it is claimed that the Cropley Commission is illegal and oontrary to lav/, inasmuch as its real purpose is to enquire into a criminal conspiracy to obtain a bribe, such crime being properly cognisable by a Court of Law, tuid that the Commission ia not such a Court.