The Futchison-Ballance Libel Case

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 82, 9 January 1892, Page 3

The Futchison-Ballance Libel Case

.| On Tuesday last the Premier was; i served with a writ in an action for libel ! at the instance of Mr G. Hutchison, 1 ; M.HE The plaintiff's statement of • claim is as follows :— l. He is and was at j the time of the happening of the events I hereinafter mentioned the member for the j Electoral District of Waitotara in (he House of Representatives. 2. In the last session of Parliament a Bill was intro* duceil by the defendant, John Ballance. as 'Premier, by which the p lyment of members of Parliament was proposed to bo increased. 3. The plaintiff in his place , in the House of Representatives, and at a public meetine of his constituents at Patea, spoke of the Bill as a dishonest measure. 4. The defendant John Ballance :irtfr wards addressed a public meet in* of the constituents of the plaintiff at Patea, and a report of Mich speech was published in the Wanganui Herald newspaper of the Bth December, and_the Yeoman newspaper of the 12th JJecember last, and such report contained the following words concerning the plaintiff : 'Mr Hutchison had told them thnt the Payment of Members Bill was a dishonest measure, but he forgot to tell them that he had signed a paver in the lobby of the House to the effect that he was in favour of the Bill (meaning thereby that although the plaintiff professed to. be opposed to the Payment of Members Bill as a dishonest measure, he had acted so as to promote the passing of the Bill, . with the object of increasing the payment of members, including himself). 5. The defendant, James Joseph Boyle,, was the publisher, and the defendant John Ballance was a proprietor of the said newspapers in which the words above set forth were published ns afore* said- 6. The said publications were false and malicious. 7. The plaintiff prays judgment for the sum of forty shillings as damages against each of the defendants ; and he also claims an injunction against each of the defendants to prevent the further publication of the said libel or any words to the same' effect.