SYDNEY POLITICAL LIBEL CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 301, 29 December 1897, Page 5

SYDNEY POLITICAL LIBEL CASE.

ALLEGATIONS

AGAINST A

CABINET MINISTER,

SYDNEY, December 29.

In the ease of Carruthers v. Norton libel action Mr Leary, chief clerk of divorce, produced papers to show that Mr Carruthers obtained a decree nisi of divorce from his wife ia August 1895. He stated that the application was made on Saturday morning. No one was present excepting witness and Mr Tipstafl. The case, at the suggestion of plaintiff", was taken early in the morning before Mr Justice Windeyer, and lasted under half an hour. He admitted that the time and proceedings were unusual. No report of the case appeared in the press. Mr Norton went into the box and made a statement that lie had public and personal knowledge of Mr Carruthers of ten years. He said he had always regarded him as a tricky, dishonest politician. He chaiged Mr Carruthers with telling lies about him. He considered some of plaintiffs transactions with regard to the exchange of public lands inimical to the interests of the people. He detailed conversations with the Ministers when he made certain accusations against Mr Carruthers. He told Mr lteid that Mr Carruthers was giving it out that he intended to have the Premiership and caballing with the Labour Party. Mr Reid replied that the trouble of Mr Carruthers and others was that lie slept too well at night and said if he could not hold the Premiership excepting at the will of Mr Carruthers he had better give it up.