PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3849, 4 July 1891, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE of BE PRESENT ATI VES. FRIDAY, JULY 3. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. Mr Rees brought to the notice of the House an article which he considered a gross breach of privilege and reflected upon the honour of members. The Clerk read an extract from Thursday's Evening Press relating to Mr J. Palmer, member for Waitemata. Mr Rees moved that the article was a breach of privilege, and said he hid not for years read a more gross attack upon a member. They were libellous in law, but also against two members, Mr Palmer and the Minister of Justice. He was so libelled simply: because he put a resolution on the] order paper and obtained an answer from the Premier. He referred to the law of the English House of Commons on the subject, and said it had been held always that a libel on a member in the conduct of his duties in the House had always been held to be a high crime and misdemeanour, because if that sort of thing were allowable the freedom of Parliament was not kept inviolate. The House ought to unite in putting a stop to this sort of thing with a high hand. This was not freedom of the press—it was licentiousness and malignity. The libel against the two members as private persons they could deal with in the ordinary way, but while they courted the severest criticism they were bonnd°io make a stand against such chaises, and the House would be forgetting its dignity if it did not do so. He, therefore, begged to move that' the article in the Evening I'ress is a breach of the privileges of this House.' Mr E. M. Smith seconded the motion, saying that it was time some of the newspapers were suppressed —extinguished. He also had been libelled by the Wellington papers, and the Hansard reports were their only safeguard.

A. lengthy debate took place on the subject. The Minister of Lands advised the House to make it compulsory for every leading article to be signed, and by which" every editor of a newspaper could be horsewhipped. (Laughter.) Mr Palmer requested the permission of the mover to allow the case to be withdrawn in order that he might take civil proceedings, which he intended to do. He thanked both sides of the House for the sympaty they had expressed with him. Mr Eees assented to this proposal, and the motion having been with-. drawn, a resolution of sympathy with Mr Palmer was proposed by Mr W. Hutchison and seconded by Mr R. Thompson, and carried on the voices. The Financial Debate was resumed and the House adiourned at 1.45.