JOURNALISTIC ITEMS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1640, 25 December 1874, Page 475

JOURNALISTIC ITEMS.

The Clutha Leader, a paper very recently established in the interior of Otago, states that, in consequence of the liberal patronage bestowed upon it *by advertisers, it will be enlarged to eight pages of seven columns each—" the largest upcountry newspaper published in New Zealand"-—in order to admit of a fair, extent of reading matter. Our contemporary (says the Wakatipu Mail) is to bo congratulated that it does not share the dulness so generally prevalent in upcountry districts, and may very truly exclaim matters, merely from a commercial point of view, it is to us equally gratifying and , encouraging," ' The Wellington Tribune says that it is intended to start a newspaper in Patea by, a company, shares, £1 each. A curious action is likely to engage the attention of the Victorian law courts. An action has been brought by Mr M. O'Reilly, proprietor of the lato Irishman newspaper, against the Rev. J. O'Mallcy, S.J., for slander and conspiracy with others to suppress that journal by denunciation from the altar. The case would have been proceeded with long since but for the absence of Dr. Goold from the colony, he being an important witness in the case. Tho alleged slander and conspiracy refers to certain proceedings at a spiritual retreat of the clergy, when they were exhorted by Father O'Malloy, who acted for Dr. Goold, to prohibit the circulation of the Irishman for asserting that it was not a " drum ecclesiastic," and for supporting the new Education Bill. The damages arc laid at £I,OOO.