THE RABBIT ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3895, 25 August 1891, Page 2

THE RABBIT ACT.

Charge against the Bon J, 0. Onaoa^-

The Defoaflaat-Plealß Privilege.

Napier, August 24.

At the Magistrate's Court to-day a case against the Hon* J. D. Ormond, for breach of the Babbit Aot, was called on. The complaint was that Mr Ormond had negleoted to eradicate the rabbits from his run at Wallingford. . The Clerk of the Court, Capt. Foreter, said the summons had been tsen to Wellington for servioe on Mr Ormond, but he would not accept it, pleading privilege during the time the Legislative Council was in session. Mr Cornford, who appeared for the Rabbit Board, said this was a matter that wan altogether within the discretion of the CciirS. The case was one of misdemeanour, *nd was a criminal pro ceedmg. The word misdemeanour was applied to all those offences for which the law had not prodded * particular name, TfeP privilege, gqestion was for the Court to consider, but he thought that if Mr Ormond accepted service and applied for an adjournment, that was the proper course for him to have taken. The Resident Magistrate perused the Act under whiah members were privileged in this respect, and. said it seemed to him that a misdemeanour was an indictable offence, one on which a person could be committed for trial. The present charge appeared to be neither felony nor misdemeanour, but he thought the constable should have handed the summons to Mr Ormond and have done with it. Mr Cornford concurred, and it was eventually decided to adjourn the matter for a fortnight,