THE PRIVILEGE CASE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 420, 1 September 1877, Page 2

THE PRIVILEGE CASE.

N [By TV.T.K<;KArn. j + Wj:u.tm;ton, September 1. The Oamam Mail breach of privilege case wa< again brought iiml-T the notice • if the House of Representatives yesterday aff<rnooir\ l whHii sonic rather warm cross-firing took place between severa' hon. members. The occasion of this little skirmish was a qiujs ion put by Mr. Roes, and which was tl ought, to have sonic reference to Mr. Jones' c >si\ The nuosti' n asked of tlie Government hy Mr. Bees was whether money had been paid to any persons as compensation or otherwise in conn'ntion with 200.0)0 acres of land in the Upper Thames district, also to whom the money had then been p-vd a- d the name of the solicitor who acted. The Premier decline 1 to answer the question on the ground that the matter was pending a Court of Law. He said it would be improper to give any information on the subject, and quoted from "Todd's Practice" to show that the reason he had given for not answering the question was a good ': one. Tn order to put himself in order I and enabls a discussion to take place, ] Mr. Rees moved the adjournment of the House. He maintained that his question did not, refer to the libel case. He men ly wished to know whether the Government had naid anv money as compensation for a certain block of land, and if so. when, how, and to whom it had be?n paid. The Speaker said he did not think the passage quoted by the Premier as to the reason for declining to answer the questions was applicable to the case. Sir George Grey followed, and said the matter was one of the greatest urgency. From the Premier's ' refusal to answer the question, I e con- ■ eluded that, if answered, t'ie result would be to prove Mr. George Jones innocent. He appealed to the sense of honour and ' justice of the House whether it would permit a prosecution instituted by its | authority to be carried on while at I

the same time information was with. held by the Government which woul. prove the innocence of the accused Mr. Fox championed the Government and characterised the question as an at tempt to reverse the decision of tin House. He said that if the Premie: possessed any information likely t > pmv, Mr. Junes innocent, lie could he calle. upon to give evidence in the Suprcni. Court. Mr. Gisborne said the Govern nient were justified in withholding tli information askei for. Mr. Wliiuk.: said Mr. Jones would bo able, in a Court to call upon the members of the Ministr. to give evidence and produce any doeu nients they possessed. The truth of tin assertion was denied l'V Mr. Hiidop, wh said that, when tlie House ordered th. prosecution against Mr. Jones, it ccrtainh did not intend that th.it proseeutioi should be carried on in the matin.) which was now lining followed. II added that the House had a perfee right to ask for the fullest informa tioii with regard to the land transar tioiis of the Government. 1 Thermal te was afterwards allowed to dropout it i pretty generally understood that othe measures will be taken to compel tli Government to make public the whole <i the matters in«]iiired into. There is strong feeling that, the Ministry has acle unjus'ly in withholding inforinatioii ca' cuiated'tn hen-tit Mr. Jones, and opinion are pretty fret I.V cxprcs-ed that the resnl would have been dillereiit had Mi Whitakcr been the accused, and not Mi Jones.