MR. WEBB'S SENTENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1918, Page 7

MR. WEBB'S SENTENCE.

is hf; seat rendered wca_\t? (From Our Oivn Correspondent. Wellington, Marcii 22. The promulgation of the sentence inflicted lir rouri-iuartial on Private. P. C. Webb for refusing to obev an order ;a Trent Imm Camp followed'the reference of tlic-caso mun OhViu-c Headquarters to (lm Minuter for Defence. It appcan to hare been thoiiibi, (hat there was a question of policy as well as of military discipline ia\olvod. 'Hie sentence was confirmed with the approval of the Government, which decided thai, the member for Grey must be treated jus;, the same as other reservists who fo> reasons of their own have refused lo serve in the forces. It will be remembered thai some weeks ago the coal miners, in demanding the release of Mr. Webb from military service, threatened an industrial upheaval , 4 he were forced into camp. The Government made a firm replv and since then there lias been no public announcement of the intentions of die .minor',. It is the feeling in official circles here thai no serious industrial trouble on aeco;,„t of Mr. Webb is to bo apprehended in the immediate future. The position at the mines, of course, is already far from satisfactory, work being interrupted frequently and vcvatiously. It appears that the imprisonment of the member for drey will render vacant his seat in Parliament. Clause 30 of lhe Legislature Act provides: "The seat of any member of Parliament shall become vacant . . . . if he is a publie defaulter or is contested of any crime punishable by death or by imprisonment with h.ird labor for a term of two years, or upwards." In the event of the seat, becoming vavant in thia way the late member, while serving a term of imprisonment, would not 13 eligible for re-election. It is possible that the courts will be required to interpret the'law as it affects Mr. Webb's ease, The sentence was inflicted by a military court under the Army Act and the wording of the Legislature Act applies to conviction for crime by the ordinary civil courts. Legal opinion will be sought on the point.