NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Some interesting figures concerning one side of the public finances were to the House by the Piume Ministee yesterday. For the eight months ended November. 30 the revenue amounted to £5,403,301, as compared with £4,817,371 for the eight months of last year. According to his custom the Prime Minister did not supply the figures relating to expenditure. The expenditure has risen, of course, by a largo amount. Tho largeness' of the revenue is due mainly to tho extra taxation of all kinds imposed by the Government and to the increase in the long-dis-tance railway fares. Merchants and the general public will be gkd to have confirmation, which is supplied by the buoyancy of the revenue, of the marked improvement' of trade. At tho same time tho taxpayers have a legitimate grievance. Here, in the face of a greatly-improved trade, wo have the Government not only refusing to remit the extra taxation imposed last year—imposed on tho plea that money was necessary for certain purposes for which, as the public accounts _ have already shown, tho new provision was unnecessary— but actually keeping on that taxation, and imposing fresh burdens this year. Every pound in the increase .of. revenue is a pound's worth of argument against the new extortions of the Government. Trade is booming, prices are good, development is proceeding apace, and yet the political needs of the Ward party are so great, its need for money for political - disbursement is so acute, that desperate and creditshaking loans must bo supplemented by a harder and ever, harder bleeding of the community.

A monstrous venture into Caesarism on the part of tho Government was incubated and hatched into law within a few hours yesterday.. Avowedly with the object of protecting Sir Joseph Ward, an amendment to the Libel Bill was sprung upon the Legislative by tho Attorney-General. There it was agreed to without protest, and the House accepted it after a little objection that left its real evil untouched. The clause makes the publication of a defamatory libel an offence punishable by three months' imprisonment on summary conviction before a magistrate. With proper safeguards that is not an unreasonable proposal. The' amendment, however, goes on to say:

"In any such summary proceedings it shall bo a good det'enco that tho defamatory matter published by tho defendant was true, and that tho publication thereof was for tho public benefit, hut no evidence of the truth of such matter shall he admissible until and unless the defendant proves that, assuming tho matter so published to ho true, tiio publication thereof was for the publio benefit."

Before a Judge and jury there is some prospect that a man may sometimes prove that a certain publication is "for tho public benefit." But is that a question that should be left to the decision of a Magistrate who, unlike a Judge, is a dependent upon the goodwill of the party that happens to be in power? But the evil is greater than this. Should the Magistrate decide that the defendant, arguing always on a hypothetical basis, and always to tho accompaniment of continuous suggestion by the prosecution that he is a liar, has failed to prove that the publication was for the public benefit, what will happen 1 ! The case is ended. The Magistrate has ■ held . as not proven, what is an indispensable element of innooenoa. And the dofend-

ant is not even allowed to call evidence as to the truth of his statements in the publication. He remains under the imputation that he has not even truth as a palliation of his action—that he is a Jiar. The plaintiff also will remain at the same time under suspicion as to the facts, smce he will bo unable to prove or disprove anything relating to fact. This double wrong is intolerable. Such a poisoning of the law can only benefit spccial persons in special It will enable some persons to ruin their critics and to' close the door against proof of the truth of any statement concerning. them. A more dangerous law than this we have never heard of.

The Golden Jubilee of the Bev. Mother Mary Joseph Aubeut is to be celebrated to-day when his Excellency tho Governor, will present her with a testimonial to which people of all religious denominations, and numerous friends not connected with any of the churchcs, have gladly subscribed. The splendid work that this lady has done for the poor and suffering is known and appreciated from one end of the colony to another, and her name is a household word for her good deeds in and around Wellington. The charitable organisations with which she has been so long connected deal with some phases of misfortune and affliction which neither the State nor private agencies fully .reach, and. all classes of tho community, no matter what their religious beliefs may be, have every confidence in tho wisdom and kindness which characterise Mother Aubert's methods of management and administration.. In her quiet, unostentatious, yet businesslike way she is daily proving -herself the friend of the friepdless, and a. generous helper of those in need. All will join in congratulating her on the attainment of her Golden Jubilee, and in the hope that she may enjoy health and strength for many years to carry, on successfully her praiseworthy efforts to brighten the' lives of the poor, the sick, and the afflicted. However people may differ in opinion on matters of religious belief all can heartily combine when the opportunity offers of showing their with practical Christianity as exhibited in the life and work of public benefactors like Mother Mary Atjbert.

This is clearly not the AttorneyGeneral's lucky week. On Thursday he delivered a speech' which was plainly intended to hush and awe the nation, and it produced - only irreverent laughter. Yesterday ho delivered another speech in defence of the Libel Bill, the object of which was to procure decency in speech and writing. How fitly he discharged this task may be gathered from the following high and dignified words and phrases with which_ he supported his argument: "vile," "blackguardly," "false," "criminal creature," "base," "idle vagabond," "defaming ruffians," "brutal," "base vilifiers," "vile assassins." The Irishmen who were determined to fight like devils for conciliation are ottt-dated. Cannot the AttorneyGeneral get rid of his ill-luck by turning round three times, or something'!

We have received a number of letters, including two from Colonial. Bank shareholders, criticising certain statements made by Sir Josepii Ward in his speech in the House' of Representatives on Wednesday last. Wc do riot think it desirable, however, to open our columns to controversy on this subject: Sin Joseph Ward, in seizing the opening given him by Mk. Taylor to revive the old story of his private and business troubles, has, no doubt, given ground for opening the door to the other side. Those, however,who disagree with the Prime Minister's version of the Colonial Bank transactions can well afford to allow the matter to rest whore ft was left by the judgment of Mr. Justice Williams. In any case we must decline to give further publicity to the matter at the present time.