LIBEL ACTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4757, 26 June 1894, Page 3

LIBEL ACTION.

Greuille u.'Cargill. (By Telegraph— Press Association). Wkuixotox, Tuesday, Tho Supreme Court is occupied to-dny with the case of Greville v. Il r uirara/in I'tar, a claim for £IOOO for alleged libel, which is being heard before His Honor Judge Richmond • and a special jury of twelve. Mr Edwards appears for plaintiff, and MrPownall for defendant. Tho plaintiff is Reginald Palmer G revillo, civil engineer and surveyor of Pahiatnn, and the defendant is William Clement Cargill, proprietor of tho WairarqiabtarmiiiEtelalmna Mail.

Plaintiff was engineer to (lie Alfralton lioad JJoanl, and on 20th December last defendant published in the 1 hiranqm Slur an article, which subsequently appeared in the Mail headed" Wholesale llpbbery," mill which it was contended by the plaintiff's counsel levelled charges of gross corrupt ion against the plaintiff in his official capacity. Mr Edwards havingstatcdthccase for the plaintiff called Henry Dunn, Into chairman to tho Alfralton Hoad Board, who said that lie had read tho articlo in question, and took it to refer to Grevillc. Ho siibsoqnontly rant along the road ami niiiife enquiries from the sottlers,but saw nothing to justify such charges, One of tho settlers pointed out a fewdefects in the formation, but they were immaterial. It was-Greville's duty to see that tho contractors carried out their work according to the specification,butit was not necessary for him to be always on the job. Witness was satislied with the way in which the work had been carried out, He could conscientiously Hay that tho work had been honestly done, Cross-examined by Mr Pownall: He had had considerable experience in the formation of lwds, hilfc this experience was the result of observation ns ft settlor of long standing in tho district. He had no recollection of having allowed the supervising engineer to make alterations in the specifications, Ilis Honor observed that it was quite usual for alterations to be mado in specifications after thoy had been drawn up, and it would bo inconvenient if it were not so. Cross-examination rosumed: Settlers were complaining at the time the road was being formed. Witness felt offended at the article, because he hud used his influence in getting Grevillc appointed, and therefore thought tho article to a certain extent, reflected on himself (witness). William Bayliss, Clerk to the Eketahuna ltoad Board, also considered that the articlo imputed corruption to Grevillo. He told Grevillc ho should take steps to clear his character from tho imputations contained in the article,

Cross-examined by Mr Pownall: There were three engineers in the employ of his Board, lie knew nothing about the road in question. , I Alexander Reese, settler of Palliatna, said ho had had twenty-live years experience as a contractor, and had thoroughly examined the Pali Yalloy and Jlangaone roads at the request o£plaintiff, and,was agreeably surprised to see them in such good condition, especially as tho specifications did not provide for a lh'st-class bushroad. The specification left a good deal to the discretion of the Engineer. The work corresponded very fairly with the specifications, except- as to the length of a culvert.' Tho culverts, as contributed, were quite long enough for what they had to do, and it would be a waste of material and labour to make them any longer, The culverts themselves were well constructed, The grades seemed io be very fair all through, The Court then took the luncheon adjournment The case is not likely to be finished till to-morrow.