BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1264, 20 October 1911, Page 4

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

A WANGANUI BILL.

When tho House of Representatives resumed yesterday ovening, Mr. Laurenson roso in his place and drew attention to a breach of privilege that had been committed by tho Wanganui papers. He rend tho following telegram:—"Wanganui papers say I continuously obstructed Bill to great annoyance committee. Chairman repeatedly remonstrated my shocking conduct. Will you kindly protect mo in this mattor. (Signed) Poison." Mr. Laurenson said tho committee had for some weckspast been carefully considering the Wanganui Harbour Empowering Bill, and Mr. Poison was tho gentleman in charge of tho opposition to tho Bill. Such statements made in the press were a distinct breach of privilege, because tho proceedings were conducted in private, and no ono had a right to publish anything that took place in the Committee. He wished, as Chairman of tho Committee, to draw public attention to tho matter, and to give tho statement that had been made an emphatic denial. On no occasion did he remonstrate with Mr. Poison for "shocking conduct." Ou tho contrary, tho proceedings were most harmonious. On one or two occasions !.« had suggested that witnesses should bo a little more brief. Ho wished to say that Mr. Poison hnd conducted tho opposition to the Bill in a very courteous and ablo manner. There was not a particle of truth in the statements that had appeared in tho Wanganui papers. Sir Joseph Ward raised a point of order. A breach of privilege could not bo dealt with by the Chairman of Committees. Mr. Lang endorsed all that Mr. Laurenson had said about Mr. Poison. 110 had conducted his case in a very ablo manner, and even tho members of the committee who wcro opposed to his view would bear out that statement. Tho Chairman said ho could not rule on a question of breach of privilege. Tho Speaker was tho only one who could do that. Tho matter then dropped.