The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1903. THE QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 154, 3 July 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1903. THE QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE.

In connection with the question of precedence which is exciting so much discussion both here and in Aus'ralia, the following will doubthss ba road with interest and really needs no comment. The Secretary of State for the Calories (Right Hon. J. Chamberlain), wrote to the Govereor from Downingstreet, under date 22nd May, 1903: " With reference to previous correspondence on the subject, I have tbe honour to transmit to your Lordship herewith a copy of a Table of Prece dence for New Zealand, which 1 submitted to the King, and which has, now received His Majesty's approval.

You will observe that the table is substantially the same as that proposed by your Ministers, and the minor alterations in their proposals which I suggested in order to bring into general hatmony with the' precedence propose' for the Commonwealth cf Australia, have been concurred in by them. In submitting this tabid I took the opportunity of laying before His Msjes'y the petition of the Judges of the Supreme and Appeal Courts of New Zealand, relative to their precedence, which was enclosed in your despatch No. 90, of the 28th August, 1901, and, in informing the petitioners that this has been done, I am commanded to request that you will be good enough to point out to them that the precedence which is assigned to the Chief Justice and Judges in the new table it analogous to that which is held' by the Judges in this country and in Canada, and to that which it is proposed to assign to the Chief Justice and Judges of the Commonwealth of Australia, and to add that they may rest assured that neither on the part of your Ministers, in recommending the change, nor His Majesty's Government in advising its approval, was there any intention to belittle the Judicial tribunals of the colony or in any way to lower their dignity," The table of precedence is as fallows:—

1. His Excellency the Governor, or (whilst actiDg in the place of the Governor) the Deputy-Governor, or Officer Administering the Government, 2. Naval Oommander-in-Ohief. 3. His Majesty's Ministers holding Cabinet rank, 4. Privy Councillors, 5. Ohief Justice, 6. Speaker of the Legislative Oour.cil. 7. Speaker of the House of Representatives. 8. Puisne Judges. 9. Commandant of New Zealand Forces, 10. Knights of various Orders and Ktights Bachelor, according (o (heir precedence in the United Kingdom, 11. Ex-Ministers or others entitled to retain the title of " honourable." 12. Members <f the Legislative Council, 13. Members of the Hcuss of Representatives, 14. The Solicitor-General. 15. District Court Judges, 16. Paymaster-General, 17. Public Trustee. 18. Clerk of the Execu'ive Council, 19. Clerk of Parliaments. 20. Okrk of the House of Representatives, Wives shall have the same order of precedence as their husbands. With respect lo persons en'Hed to precedence in the United Kingdom or in foreign countii.s, or in other jcolonieg, the order of precedence shall be regalated by the rules heretofore in force.