The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 865, 23 September 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1871.

On August IS, Mr Fox moved the second reading of au Amendment Bill to enable witnesses summoned before Committees to give evidence, who might themselves have been guilty of acts which would bring them within the provisions of the existing law. The amendment was introduced for the purpose of enabling the Commissioners to give such witnesses a full indemnity. The proposal itself was unxceptionable; the only objection to its being brought forward by the Government at such a time, was the fact of the petition against the electio nof Sir David Munro, for Motueka, not having been disposed of; aud as that gentleman is known to be a very rigid opponent of the present Ministry, the latter necessarily laid itself open to the charge of having framed an enactment and endeavoured to press it hastily upon the House, for the purpose of facilitating the unseating of Sir David Monro. Mr Stafford moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months, urging that it would be bigbly discreditable to the House to pass a measure which would materially" affect a question at that moment judicially before the House. The Premier defended himself from the charge of having been directed by a strong political animus. "He must repeat that, so far from the Government ever having entertained any such purpose, the instructions to the AttorneyGeneral to prepare the Bill were given when no fewer than five petitions pending were iu the hands of the Clerk of the House, three of which, if not four, were against staunch supporters of the Government; and, therefore, to have been guilty of the conduct imputed by the hon. member for Timaru, would have been, if there was any weight weight in his argument, to cut their own throats, which was not very likely to have been the case. Had the charges made been true, no doubt a case of gross partiality would have been established." Now this explanation can hardly be deemed satisfactory, since, although there were five petitions for the consideration of the Committee when the Bill was prepared, four had been withdrawn before it was brought in. The discussion throughout was not in reference to the merits of the proposed enactment, but consisted of the laying and rebutting of accusations imputing to ministers hostility to Sir David, Monro in making the act retrospective. It terminated amid much bitterness, in the debate being adjourned on the understanding that it should remain so until the petition before the House was settled, or until the retrospective clauses had been eliminated, so as to allow the bill to apply only to future petitions.