FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12635, 24 October 1905, Page 7

FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

* (By Telegraph). •in Our Special Reporter). WELLINGTON, October 23. live the King, and long live nours the King's Judges," anthe crier in his monotonous The throe Judges, Corum'isskmjred simultaneously into the Court. The personnel rose to and the great voucher inquiry The barristers in wig and gown ;ir benches. Mr. Fisher, with lor and some of the "New " occupied the benches on one The newspapers were stationed >ther. There was a sprinkling itors. hairman (Judge Denniston) inthat the Commission had setprocedure. There would be f&es of counsel. Mr. Skcrrett BHcalled upon to produce his j; the officers implicated (Mr. nd Mr. Fisher) would follow, a the Commission would conreport. He called on Mr. Sker>egin. arboy asked if he might ask a . "Certainly not," snapped the t, and the interloper sat down, 3 flabby. ellicoe rose in his might, fixed rt with his glittering eye, and nervously to "sit down." He td to have the judicial interi of the course of procedure. sident explained sharply and y that the Court would not dismatter. "Sit down," he kept >eremptorily, pointing to the md Mr. Jellicoe. That fearless stoood his ground. If he was rutted to have tho explanation bo impossible for him to do properly. Thereupon Judge took him Th hand. He told

him in warm, sound tones that the Court considered he had quite suffioient intelligence to read the procedure as. drawn up by himself. Tho champion collapsed under punishment, but came up quickly to time. He wanted to move motions, etc. The Commission would not receive motions, at least not in a form to stop proceedings. What was the use, asked Mr. Jellicoo in a rising voice, for him to be there at all if ho could not be heard? The Court did nofc seem to oare very much Avhether ho stayed there or not. Their Honors toM him he had heard alll about tho order of procedure, its reasons, and its form. Ho had been invited, together with all and sundry, to meet them in chambers that morning lefore these proceedings, and he had thought proper to stay away. After this Mr. Jellicoe's eyes flashed, and there w^s an interchange of arguments by bench and bar, simultaneous for the most part, and throughout thei-o was an accompaniment of presidential finger pointing to tha Jellicoo seat, and the words "Sit down" were observed to be recurrent. It was decided that suggestions should be mado by counsel in writing At last Mr. Skerrett got his long-waited opportunity to cull the first witness, who went quietly Into the box, not after the manner of one going into .a refuge harbour. Thereupon Mr. Jellicoe got up and swept all witnesses out of Court. Then the business proceeded smoothly. For a time Mr. Jellicoo harassed the examination, and wh&n his turn came to cross-examine he harassed the witness. It was a lively day. Mr. Skerrett, for the Crown, smilingly offered all possible • books, provided they would be examined under the eye of the Commission.

So ended the first day