RE-TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 860, 5 July 1910, Page 2

RE-TRIAL.

DEMANDED FOR MR. KNYVETT, • MEETING IN TOWN HALL. The campaign of the Knjrvett Defence Committee was carried to AVellington last evening, when the To mi Hall was more, than two-thirds filled, at a meeting called io demand a nsw trial for Mr. Kriyvett, anu an amended system of military inquiry. Sir. J. P. Lnke, M.P., presided, and <smong tho*e present on the platform were; —Sir. J. b". Diekeon, chairman of the -committee, Sir. It. A. Armstrong, hon. secretary,' Sfr. Gerald Peacocke, of Auckland, Sir. A. J. Black, of Auckland, and Messrs. R. A. Wright, D. M'Laren, L. li. Phillipps, C. H, Poole, T. Taylor, and P. Lang, M.P.'s. fho speakers received a sympathetic hearing. J. P. Luke, M.P., explained that J l6 had agreed to occupy the chair since the Slayor was unable to do so. He had gone carcfully into tlie ICnyvett case, and thought that Sfr. Knyvett had not been unduly punished. * If a process ot appeal from military decisions was wanted, his idea was that a standing committee of both Houses of Parliament L . ™ view appeals, and that they should then be referred to the Supreme Court, and not to a stipendiary niagistri°K' kuke also read a letter in which Mr. R. PU mmer , chief of staff of -Lite Dominion*, completely denied the fi ™te m ent published in the Knyvett pamphlot that he had told a deputation that the information published in Tira Dominion* with regard to Captain Knyvett s visit -was supplied by 'Colonel Kobm. Mr. Plimmer added that Colonel Loom did not supply any of the information beyond a statement - specially cl fr °-\l article. I Armstrong, hon. secretary of , the Knyvett Defence Committee, ont- ! lined the history of the case, up • to the I holding of the second court of inquiry.

Object of Agitation, Mr, Gerald Peaeocke, of Auckland, disclaimed any political object on the parti of the organisers of the meeting. They simply wished to acquaint the public with the facts of a case which they considered to have an important ' bearing throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion. Neither had they come to champion' Mr. Ivnyvett, who had been the victim of a system. They , felt that what had happened to Mr. Knyvett might happen to any other member of the dofence forces to-morrow, and that was why they wero taking action. Neither was ■ this.purely an Auckland agitation; theDefence Committee were not actuated by any parochial spirit. They had nothing to do as between one member' and another member of the Defenco Councils there was no pitting of one officer against another, whether they lived in the North or in tho South. They admitted tho necessity for strict military discipline, but obedience to discipline was one thing and subjection to injustice quits another. Mr. Peacocke then continued the. history of llr. Knyvett's case, and urged that an mjustico was done to him in that, whilo he was charged under the British law, ho was prevented from defending himself except under the New Zealand law. It had been stated that the procedure of tho military court was an absoluto screaming farce on account of tho absurdities and contradictions that took place. The courtbecame completely, befogged as to what it could do and what it could not do, and tho fog became particularly dense whenever Captain Knyvett put a knotty question. The court would then suspend proceedings in order to consult authorities, and when the court resumed Mr. Knyvett was always overruled, without any reasons being given. -Without reflecting on the integrity of anr member of the court, he thought that when such courts were constituted no officer whodepended for his livelihood and career on an appointment in , the Civil Service should bo placed in the position of a judge. (Applause.) That was the position, in the case of one, and ho thought two officers who composed the ivnyvett court of inquiry. An improvement in the system of military justice was especially needed in view, of the inauguration of compulsory training, and for this cause it was important that'tho entire facts of >,ho Knyvett case should be investigated by an impartial tribunal, ihe charges made by Captain Knyvett were made on that officer's sole responsibility, and the committee did not vouch ior them. Mr. Knyvett had never had an opportunity to substantiate hia charges; the court told him that it could not consider whether they were true or false, his offence consisted in his male-' inR charges. The defence committee had never asked for tho right of military appeals to a civil court; they simply asked for legislation to prevent such miscarriages of justice as they held had taken place.

Captain Bosworth Agatn. Mr. A. J. Black, of Auckland, in the course of a vigorous harangue, declared that the sole object of.the Knyvett court of inquiry . was to extract . from Mr. Knyvett enough matter to establish his own guilt. Sir. Black repeated his re. ference to "a'gentleman of German extraction," in speaking of the constitution of the court, and at a later stage, had to expostulate with his audience for not taking him seriously. Mr. Black, leaving this part of the subject and proceeding to another, said that he had never stated that Captain BoswortH gave him authority to make the statement that Knyvett was a doomed man before the trial commenced. In the presence of four gentlemen in Auckland, two or three nights before they left that city, Captain Pulleu made this statement, of which the speaker had received confirmatory telegrams—"that he was prepared to go upon any platform in New Zealand and state on oath that Captain Bosworth had pledged him that Knyvett was a doomed man before ever the court sat."

A Motion. i Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., inovert: "That this meeting of citizens ot Wellington, having heard the facts 'of the Knyvett case, expresses its strong conviction that Parliament should pass the necessary legislation to provide for a new and fair trial for Captain Knyvett, and to prevent tho recurrence of a travesty of justice similar to the Knyvett case in tho ■ case of other persons who may be officially accused of military crimes in this Dominion." Mr. Wright said ho believed that them had never been a case where any man had been so unjustly condemned and unrighteously treated as Mr. Knyvett had been, lie was not condemned for insubordination, but ho must have been condemned for something else that did not appear on the surface. Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P., urged that Mr. Knvvett's so-called trial was, a more travesty, a farco, for which the members of the Court were not to blame. Mr. L. R. Phillipps, M.P. for Waitemata, emphasised tho importance of t'uo principle at stake in view of tho establishment of compulsory training. Ho did not blame the members of the court of inquiry, but he blamed the system.

A "Mimic Army." Mr. T v E. Taylor, M.P. for Christchurch North, said that an attempt was being' made to creato a mimic army on tho European model. There would 'be a general nt A'Boo n salary that would support nine families—and every bis military mail would bo the centre of "a little military clique who would look down on the averago citizen because ho did not wear a uuiform. The liousui" problem in New Zealand could bo solved with tho money that would be wasted upon militarism. Compulsory military training should carry with it tho right to employment. lie thought that as tho result of tho Knyvotot enso Parliament this year would decide to give every man who might be condemned by a military court the right of appeal "to a eivi'l tribunal. Tho military spirit should bo kepi down by Parliament, and thero should bo but one law for military and civilians. Mr. P. Lang, M.P. for Mamiltau, urged that Mr. Knyvctfs punishment was excessive. The Hon. G. Powlds's speech to his constituents showed that tho Government were, taking np a very different attitude from . what thev had done at first. Mr. C. 11. Poole, M.P. for Auckland West, said he wished to ensure that Mr. Knyvett should be given a fair trial, as well as tlioso who might be in tho sajmo position in the future.

. The motion was carried almost unanimously,