BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 29 August 1901, Page 3

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

A Newspaper in Trouble.

(que parliamentary reporter),

Wellington, August 28. Obeying the mandate of the Mines Committee, Mr. Jackson Palmer its Chairman, yesterday reported to the House that the Dunedin Evening Star of Friday, August 28, had published the whole of the evidence covering three columns given before the Committee before the Committee had reported on the matter under investigation to the House. He moved that the Star of Friday Me on the table of the House. The publication of the evidonce was in strong contravention of rule 229, The report in the Star was perfectly fair, true, and correct (an hon member : " The Star's reports invariably are,") and it was impartial to both sides. Sir J. G. Ward moved that a breach of privilege had been committed by .the publication in the Dunedin Star of August 23rd of evidence from before the Goldfields Committee which had been reported to the House. A serious breach of the privileges of the House had been committed, and the dissemination of the information in one paper exclusively was I unfair to the rest of the newspapers of the colony. How the evidence of these cases leaked out it was impossible to say. He thought the same course should be adopted as on a former occasion, when a resolution was passed drawing the attention of members of Parliamentary Committees to the serious effects which arose from cases of this kind. Mr Fisher said that in this case one of the witnesses had been supplied by the Goldfields Committee with copies of the evidence given by the other witnesses as well as his own ; and, therefore, it would not be difficult to trace the leaking. Mr. Tanner said that very often members found valuable information in the newspapers, which they could not obtain in the House unless they were members of committees. He ridiculed the ineffective manner in which cases of breaches of privileges were dealt with in the House. During his own experience, ranging over a period of ten years, it seemed to him idiotic that'the standing orders of the House should be so easily set aside.

Mr. Pirani thought the House was wasting time in discussing the matter. Mr. Hornsby said it was quite a common occurrence for State secrets to appear in the Dunedin Star. Thanks to its remarkable reporter who had discharged so much smartness. He thought he ought to congratulate the reporter on his energy and ability. The present proceedings were simply giving a splendid advertisement to the Dunedin Star's Parliamentary correspondent. What would the House do under the circumstances P Well it might bring the pub-

lisher before the bar of the House and inflict a fine upon him, or it might put him in the coal cellar (laughter). Mr W. Fraser thought the House should either put down its foot and enforce its rules, or, failing that, burn them.

Mr Massey whilst paying a high compliment to the smartness of the representative of the Dunedin Star, regretted that a breach of privilege had been committed and he thought steps should be taken to discover the guilty person as had been done in 1874, when a Special Committee of Enquiry was set up.

The Minister of Mines said that members had praised the enterprise shown by the Star and he was inclined to follow their example. He thought, however, the House ought to make an effort to discover the culprit,

Messrs Atkinson, Symes, Ell, Major Steward and others urged that either the standing order ought to be repealed or that the resolution of the House affirming that a breach of privileges had been committed. They ought to set up a committee of enquiry to ascertain how the information was obtainted.

This course ought, some of the speakers argued, to be followed by throwing the Committee's proceedings open to the press. The resolution was agreed to on the voices. The Minister of Railways said it appeared to him that the House ought not to allow the matter to remain there. Under the circumstances the Government would take the course which had been taken some years in order to elicit some further information concerning the matter. To attempt to summon the publisher of the newspaper would be unsatisfactory in the extreme and the more satisfactory course would be to set up a Privilege Committee in order to ascertain how the evidence was obtained. He moved " That a Co nmittee of Privilege be appointed to enquire, into and report on the publication in the Dunedin Evening Star newspaper of the 23rd August of evidence given before the Goldfields and Mines Committee and which evidence has not yet been reported to the House, three to form a quorum, the Committee to have power to call for persons and papers, and the Committee to consist of the Speaker. Major Steward, Messrs Fisher, J. Allen, and the mover. Mr Barclay urged that the proper course to follow a breach of privilege having been affirmed, was to Bummon the publisher of the paper to the bar of the House.

Mr J. Allen took the same view. The publisher he said ought to be given an opportunity of making any explanation he deemed fit.

Eventually the motion was agreed to and as Mr J. Allen is a member of the Goldfields Committee, Mr Pirani was substituted for him.