Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit.. FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1901.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 5423, 19 July 1901, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit.. FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1901.

Tks list of measures that have already been brought before Parliament this session is positively alarming;, and one cannot help thinking that it would be quite impossible to give even half of them fall consideration in the course of an ordinary session. There are amongst the bills already taken a great number, which simply represent so much wasted time and money on the part of the Government printing office. The time devoted to their compilation by the members responsible need not be considered, because they might be em* ployed in some way more hurtful to tha public interest. Certainly their legislative efforts are somewnat costly to the country in the aggregate, bnt the 'majority of their bantlings will df« 1 before reaching the stage, when they | might affect the connty at large. Some of them are already as dead as Julias Cnsar, and some are moribund. Bat while all this waste of time is going on, i there are necessary or desirable measures, whoie prospects of passing are I being jeopardised by these crude efforts of budding politicians, and while session after session there is wit nested a great slaughter of abortive Bills, which is complacently ; regarded by the community, there are ! always a few measures amongst them which are urgently needed by the country For in.t*»cp, last year Mr Carncrosa, the member for Taieri, a southern journalist introduced a Bill to amend the law of libel, so that newspapers could report matters disclosed at public meetings, and at meetings of public bodies without running the risk of ft libel action. We maintain that the present state of affairs in this respect is not desirable in the general interest, and we hold that the newspapers In this colony should be put upon the same footing in the matter of reporting what may be of public interest as that occupied by the press at Home. MrOarncross is re-introduc-ing his bill this session at the instance of the New Zealand Institute of journalists, and it is to be hoped that the Government will recognise the importance of the measure, and give him all possible assistance in getting it on to the Statute Book, It simply provides for the pro taction of a newspaper in carrying out its duty of reporting proceedings before the Courts and meetings of a public nature, and it thoroughly safeguards the public interest, since it is specially provided that no protPction shall be given for publishing any matter not of public concern. Or another thing in this connection demanding immediate attention is the fact that according to Mr Justice Williams no prosecution for criminal lihel can succeed, unless the proseoutor is abl" toj>rove that the statement constituting the libel was fatal to tbe Knowledge of the accused. As this can seldom be done an unscrupulous, irresponsible person cannot be punished by the criminal law for a malicious libel. As His Honour remarked in commenting on this. Such a state of things probably does not exist in »ny other civilised country. It would be well perhaps for the Government to deal with this matter without delay,

[Since the above was written ws have noticed that Mr Seddon stated this morning, that the Government considered the point raised by Mr Juetice Williams so important, that imroediftte steps would be taken to legislate on the subject) with a view to an amendment of tho law.]