Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1878.] SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1894. THE STAR LIBEL CASE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 30 June 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1878.] SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1894. THE STAR LIBEL CASE.

It would', bo altogether unbecoming on our part to criticise the issues in the recent libel .case brought by Mr Gre vi 11 c against JlvCargil 1, bntapar fc from those wo si ncciely sympathize with the defendant, on the. broad ground that in New Zealand • the penalties under the Libel Law are excessively severe. Souio years ago wo were fairly successful in defondu. libel action'in the. Srpremo Court, but at a cost of 'some hundreds 'of pounds. An old friend of oiii'S, who was called upon to, answer an aefcioD, .liad the whole of his Svorkiiig:capital, thVsaviiijgs of many years of arduous laboar, swept'away at ; one fell swoop*' and: though he strugglcd.oll as best lie might, he was practically mined by,the publication of. two, wo : believe three,, indiscreet words. In libel ciises, it;is 'not tlie penalty 'awarded by a jury which constitutes 4ho punishnfSht, but .the enormous clbts which frequently accompany ,tllsin. ■' '"'ln ■ : Vtl>e. present instance, hadfeHillstruggling jomiialisVwitf)' limited uheane, : the' verdict of yesterday.^,mould have been simply ruinous. AVe are- very glad'to understand tlmt each iVnot the case, but still even assuming that his back is broad enough to be.tr the burden placed upon his slioul-dej-p, the load of it is excessive as contrasted with tho ofEenco. r In no community ill tlio world does there appear to bo as many ; libe};jet.ious; in'proportion "to ; \populiitioti ' as 1 ; in Ne)v;Zealand and, do lawyers draw!- : BUcli 'vast. sums ii'om.plpitiflsand defendants. Our libel:;](iwi isj a^raittedly\y^r^i|^ut do llioy try -to ipitigftto well know'n rigor of a fai! aro the.only, persons' wlio .make ■ a piofii out of libel cases Some-of squaiely, butjJio .suolijjiili eyeMencojnM

pra|n| rZealah^Loa^and^ertoslil^ralfl s^llfSiSsß the Union eents tho'Comptiny tlus difficulty 'by ; an.. Parliament; to incrensi its capital< bH tho sum of : contemporary lias:publiakeds a sational telegram; wlnoh; wo believe® ' is' .apt to mislead 'foi thfl ■ true ;position of- doin|H so it-has undertaken ; a.-'giuye^res™ ponsibility. whicli.. wo. should havefl been very sorry to accept. We ouivl selves aronotatall Dosition and prospoctsftf'tho Bank* ■ It has taken a bold stop to pyM™ i end to the chromo difficult! eg" wlnclS : have of late yeai's .besetit, ' is probably not a business, many J 1 the community wlio docs not -conj gratulato it on the course, whichhß bas taken. Both Houses of-Parliiß > of the Government,iprompt andlM fcctivo stops to - aid the i Bank - aH ■ we xnußt Bay that the actioil;:o|;tM Government in this ir litter, is wortH '> of tho highest commendatipn.oaH » willboromembei'edovenbytlieirpM ticfll opponents with admiration,aM gratitude.Yesterday theV;Bank;H ftew Zealand was one of Banks in tho Colony; to-day it -u| , one of the strongest! ' Vy— :