A PRIVILEGE CASE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 241, 12 September 1872, Page 6

A PRIVILEGE CASE.

A Wellington correspondrnt sends us the following extract from the Evening Poet, which speaks for itself :— It charges the members of the Cabinet with straining every nerve to secure the wavering votes against the coming division, and says : — . No instrument is too mean for them to use; Government officials are freely enlisted in the cause, and now the ladies have brought their powerful artillery to the aid of the sulking Cabinet. Thestory of the lovely Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire, who condtacaided to Jusi » butehf r i» order to pb>

tain a vote, which secured the Westminster election, has been burlesqued in Wellington. No matter at what sacrifice of dignity, votes must be obtained, aud the members of the softer sex who are attached, as a sort of light brigade, to tho Ministry, have been equal to the occasion. They have, at any rate, succeeded in making one convert. - An invitation to Government House, and the enticing wiles of one of Mr Vogel's most skilful and attractive female lieutenants, have combiuedly turned the head of that " political jackass," Air V. L. Shepherd.- He has been inoculated with tho virus of Vogelism, and has suddenly become an out-and-out supporter of the Government. Lovely woman has stooped to folly to seme purpose, though the operation must have been uncommonly nauseous. The Duchess had a much more pleasant talk. The Independent, referring to the Post's paragraph, said that journal has for a long time secured to itself tSe undoubted position of being the blackguard paper of New Zealand, as it ia unable to respect the usual courtesies .and decencies of fife, which are observed both, by public journals and public men in relation to each other, and wound up by saying that " were the same liberty of action permitted, according to social usage in this country, which is very often carried cut in other parts of the world, the writer of the paragraph would be called upon to retract aud apologise, or submit to the usual punishment for such ruffianly conduct — an application of a horsewhip !" Mr Reynolds wanted to bring the matter before the House as a breach of privilege ; but directly he opened his lips he was met with loud cries of •' No, no, " and therefore did not read the paragraph. There was unqualified condemnation of it from ail sides ot the Mouse. One hon. member sugg. sted that the Post should be excluded lrom the House altogether; Mr Stafford said he read the paragraph with extreme disgust, and Mr tox said be looked upon that paper as the most scurrilous publication in the Colony ; and that there was but one barrier between t>uuh scurrility and bowie knives and revolvers — namely the contempt of right minded men. He also said that on the previous evening he found two members of the staff of that journal, not only within the precincts of tho House, but iv a Government office, and he took upon himself, after reading that paragraph, the right of ordbring them off the premises immediately— a statement which was loudly applauded."