ALLEGED LIBEL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 293, 30 August 1918, Page 6

ALLEGED LIBEL

CLAIM BY A MEMBER OF PARLIA- ' MENT. . By Telegraph—Press Association Napier, August 29. Great public interest was taken today in the action at the Supreme G(iurt, J. V. Brown, M.P. (represented bv Sir John Kindlay), against G. W. Vonables and Mulvanah, for alleged libel. The latter were represented by Mr. C. P. Skerrettj K.C. The statement ot claim by the plaintiff alleged that on May 9', 1918, at Napier and elsewhere ,in the Dominion of New Zealand, the defendants published in. a weekly newspaper, . tho liawke's Bay "Observer," a statement that was false and malicious; therefore the plaintiff prays: (a) Tho sum of £501 as damages, (b) such further and other relief as the Court shall seem meet, (c) tho costs of the action. The defence pleaded fair comment. J. V. Brown was an unsuccessful candidate- for the mayoralty at tho last election. Mulvanah is a borough councillor, and proprietor of a wnall weekly papor, the "Observer," iind Vonables is a printer publishing the paper. The witnesses called to-day included tho Town Clerk '(M. Murray), tho secretary of the Patriotic Society (It. D. Anderson), J. V. Brown, the present Mayor (11. Hill), and the Group Commander (Major Hingland). The evidence dealt with the finances and, methods of the Napier Patriotic Kocioty awl its relation to tho Mayor anil councillors. Brown was severely cross-examined by Mr. Skorrett on his speeches in Parliament, his attitude to the Gormans in them, and his penoral relation to movements in the town.. The case will bo continued to-mor-row.