ANOTHER STORMY DAY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12637, 26 October 1905, Page 8

ANOTHER STORMY DAY.

MR. JELLICOE RETIRES

( From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 25. This morning there was less storm and pressure in the Supreme Court. The chief 'feature was the examination of Colonel R. J. Collins, Assistant Secretary to the Treasury. Mr. Skerrett invited him to. show him over the course taken invariably by vouchers; and the Colonel took him easily with complete familiarity with every detail, pointing out all the traces left from one end-to the other of the passage. Ot one place it seemed as if a flaw had been discovered—no blocks to the cheques—but presently there appeared an arrangement in the dealings with the bank which, being worked by several persons and secured against inaccuracy by several devices, waa really better than a block, which is manipulated by one man. On the whole, the voucher course over which the Colonel piloted the counsel appeared to make the difficulties of the voucher finders very serious. Thei* Honors watched the proceedings with great care, stopped them by asking questions from time to time, and held various conversations of an animated character on the bench. It was evident their Honors were learning something to-day. When Mr. Jellicoe's turn came the storm and pressure of the proceedings wera not long in returning, and before long they were in ful 1 possession of the proceedings. They began with the passage of a suppositious voucher by Mr. Jellicoe; they got worse when the question of the dispensing with the local audit of the Imperial authorities was threshed out at weary length Judge Edwards took the lead for a while, gave one or two decisions for the Court, remonstrated with Mr. Jellicoe, and at last roundly informed him that he had. come there for the sole purpose of obstructing the proceedings and confusing the Court. In this judgment each of the learned Judge's learned brethren concurred readily and fully. Judge Edwards went 01 to say that to save time Mr., Jeliicoo would have to be dealt with i if,-he would persist in disregarding the repeated warnings the Court had given him. The counsel thus , rated insisted that he had no such ihtentioifas; imputed, and declared his respect for, the. Court, but, like Fate, the Court'w&i; inexorable. Mr. Jellicoe had been allowed the fullest latitude, but there might be complaints of unfairness, but after the day he would not be endured more. Under stress of interruptions of this kind, the case staggered through

till lunoh time. After the meal the air seemed clearer, and everybody expected steady, smoth, rapid going, but the unexpected same. Mr. Jellicoe wanted some documents, the Court decided he couldn't have them, Mr. Jellicoe drew himself up to his full height, declared that it wa» useless for him to continue, or words to that effect, and formally retired from the case. It was all very quiet and cool, and that was the most unexpected part of the unexpecetd. From all the indications- frequenters of tho Court were prepared for a dramatic severance of Mr. Jellicoe's connection with the ease. Their astonishment at the tranquility of the denouement was great.