The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4567, 24 August 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1883.

Pabliament has got a privilege case at last, and anyone conversant with the competition among the representatives of not only the local press in Wellington during the session, in the matter of newsgleaning, will wonder, that the fourth estate in New Zealand does not get into trouble more frequently. The Wellington Post has been unfortunate, for it was caught in flagrante delicti), and it can only have been owing to the astuteness of its conductors, and to the fear in the miuds of members of so strong a paper, that hag hitherto prevented that newspaper from obtaining, such a splendid advertisement as it is now about to gel. Nearly every session the Post either by means of " lucky shots "or I>y the aid of information obtained from sources which should be reticent in relation to such matters, publishes information which is not fairly obtainable, and if the former is the way in which it is done, we must certainly give', their Parliament man every credit for his prescience, but if. the latter be the means resorted to, we can only say that the divulgence of items, against the rules or lnws of the House, should briny down condign punishment upon anyone so offending, and it is hardly necessary to add that those;. Who indnce such infractions of the law, 'shouU not escape a penalty for their actions. The enterprise of journalists, although of great use and benefit to the people on the whole, has many drawbacks, which render it not exactly an unmixed blessing. In this case, a newspaper, of which i> can hardly be said, "Well, it is not > .parly organ," deals in its columns with prohibited matter, viz., the proceedings of a Parliamentary Committee—and a Committee which has business in hand upon which the journal in question has expressed- a very decided opinion. Of course, the liberty of the Press should be very zealously guarded, as without that liberty being preserved many public abuses, and privileges would be at the mercy of thos? who might have the power and inclination to abuise them; but that liberty may be hampered if it be found that it is at all overstepped. If it be not wisely exercised, its'bouridaries may be curtailed.and its usefulness lrssfcivd I' i? in no carping spirit these lines are penned, nor can any such (bought as one of journalistic spleen be

laidftu^p^narge through a perusal of' them. Wearedesirous ofgivingthejoarnal which has beea transgressing, every credit for its enterprise and spirit, and fully recognise the power and position it occupies among; the Press of the Colony ; we would even go farther, and admire the ingenuity often displayed by it in obtaining intelligence that quite escapes it" various contemporaries, still ws must adtl-' our censure of its action in this instance, and express the desire that we will hot again see it similarly placed.