CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 975, 3 September 1881, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our correspondents].

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I do not dispute the propriety of your seizing an occasion to place the “ extremely honorable member for t e East Coast ” as you style him, on the eve of an election in an unfair position before his constituents. Everything being fair in “ love, politics and war ” is an aphorism that sometimes covers very questionable actions. But let that pass, you assail him on his attack on a southern lawyer, from behind the shelter of Parliamentary privilege. Ido not attempt to defend this. But you overlook the fact that that lawyer had also sheltered himself behind the privilege of Counsel, and made a violent attack on Mr. MacDonald, making a charge of perjury, forgery, &c., which was not only annulled in the express words of the judge, but disproved by the verdict of the jury which was strictly and entirely confirmatory of the testimony which had been given. . Mr. Smilh the lawyer in question would not have dared to make such a charge outside the court, because he would have been indicted if he had, but in the most cowardly fashion abused the protection afforded him by his position as Counsel ; and at the most Mr. MacDonald has but followed his example, and smitten him with the weapon of his own choosing,— I am Ac., Fairplay.