A POLITICAL TSAR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1535, 3 September 1912, Page 5

A POLITICAL TSAR.

MR- WILLIS'S EDICTS.

PRESS CONDEMNED WITHOUT TRIAL.

SEVERE COMMENT. By Telecraph-Press A6sociation-Cppyrißlit Sydney, September 2. The "Sydney Daily Telegraph," i" a leader referring to the statement by Mr. "Willis (Speaker of the Assembly) that tho "Daily Telegraph" had been adjudged guilty of contempt in wilfully misrepresenting what took place in the House, asks:—"By whom was the paper adjudged guilty? Wβ had no notice to appear before any tribunal having jurisdiction in that matter, and as such tribunals do,not adjudge people guilty of malicious conduct without hearing their defence, we are at a loss to know how the judgment was arrived at." The "Daily Telegraph" quotes a pronouncement by Mr. Holman, tho Acting-Premier, at the close of last session, that the daily papers were eminently fair in reporting events, and left nothing to complain of in tho degree of fulness and the prominence given.

Referring to the charge of commending a suspended member for bad conduct, the "D.aily Telegraph" pays:—"Wo do not know'what •member .Mr. Willis refers to. Even if we did dare to suggest that the member whom Mr. Willis thought worthy of suspension had done nothing to justify such treatment, we consider we were quite within our rights as a free citizen." The "Herald" says i—"Already Mr. Willis has claimed the exercise of powers absolutely in excess of his jurisdiction, but his attempts were confined to members of the House. Mr. Willis now aspires to diotato to the people of NewSouth Wales, and edit nil political news and comment; in fact, unless the views of tho press happen to coincide with those of the Speaker, the electors are to be kept ip. ignorance of what is going on jn Parliament." THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS. ME. WILLIS'S MISTAKE. ' Melbourne, September 2. The "Age" says:-"Mr. Willis, in excluding a section, of the press, attempted to (convert his Parliamentary office into a sort of dictatorship, which shall functionate in tho'dnrk and be immune alike from criticism, supervision, and reproach. The exclusion of a section of tho press is necessarily an exclusion of. a section of the body politic; • general exclusion of the,press would be general exclusion of tho people. Mr. Willis, fancied that! ho was adroitly punishing the proprietary which had offended him, but what he really did was to trnmplo on the rights of that moiety of the population which obtains political intelligence through tho 'Telegraph.'"

A LENGTHY CONFERENCE. (Rcc. September 2, .11.25 p.m.) Sydney, September 2. Tho State Premier (Mr. M'Gowen), tho Attorney-General (Mr. llolmnn), and t]ie Speaker (Mr. Willis) bad a lengthy conference to-day, at the conclusion of which Mr. M'Gowen informed the pressmen that : he had nothing to soy until after the Cabinet meeting to-morrow.