The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 524, 5 January 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1878.

This is what the Wellington Argus says regarding the Whitakek-Joxes State prosecution, arising out of an article published in this paper referring to certain land transactions in the North :—" It is I now pretty well understood that George Joxes, who obtained a fleeting notoriety some time ago in connection with a wellknown breach of privilege case, will never be tried for libel. The present Government are not anxious to prosecute him, : and Mr. Whitakek is not likely to take , the trouble to go to Ihihedin to give evidence. Under a resolution of ParliaI ment, should the prosecution lapse, 1 Geokge Jo>"Es will get his legal and other expenses. Many a man might be worse off than Gooboe Jo.ves." Like most rumours emanating from Wellington, the above has every appearance of having originated in the fertile imagination of some newsmonger on the Argus. A section of the Press in the seat of literary, political, and social corruption the Empire City—has industriously spread reports referring to the case, in which there is not a shadow of truth. The majority of these are calculated to more or less prejudice the position of the accused; but unfortunately these violations of law and decency cannot be subjected to emphatic contradiction at this juncture. Such could only emanate from the accused, whose present position renders it expedient that he should go no further than to give these ruinuurs a broad denial. Further on, when the case shall have been disposed of, and there is no longer fear of treading upon holy ground, we shall have the pleasure of pointing to these untruthful statements in detail. We have much pleasure in informing numerous encpuirers that the. case will, for a certainty, be heard in Dunedin in the second week of March next.