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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4542, 11 October 1875, Page 2

A certain class of people should havo good memories. Those who deny that to their efforts was largely due the charge ef perjury against the girl Smith, have not good memories, or they would not deny facta which were stated recently. In the issue of a Wellington evening paper of June 4tb, the evidence in the charge against Cameron at the Resident Magistrate’s Court is given in full except in the case of such revolting details as no one would dare to print, and these, it is true, are omitted, with the words, “The details, of course, are unfit for publication.” In its issue of July 14th, corammenting on Hr. Justice Preudergast’s sentence upon Cameron, the same paper throws doubt upon the sworn evidence in the case by saying—- “ When the facts and circumstances proved in evidence are considered, they in no way justify the sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and two floggings of twenty-five lashes each.” And further doubt is thrown on the character and veracity of the girl Smith by saying tho ofl’cnco “ was committed under circumstances which showed that tho girl offered no very earnest resistance.” This gave tho cue for those who trumped up a charge of perjury; and tho beginning of what might be called n case of conspiracy was duly recorded in tho issue of tho paper under notice, of July the 22nd, giving, in fact, a statement of the prosecution against the girl Smith, whilst that case was as it were sub judicc. Now that a disgraceful sttempt to swear away the girl’s veracity and liberty have failed, of course “ everything was done for justice ” and so forth. But this kind of writing will not answer when what was previously written is remembered. No more need be said on this affair, though much might be said of individual and personal exertion in a bad cause on the part of some who now profess to have merely ventilated matters in the cause of justice. One thing however may be affirmed, that not a line of the evidence has appeared in the columns of the New Zealand Times that cotild do more than merely record briefly the fact that such a case as Cameron’s existed.