PARLIAMENTARY BREACH OF PRIVILEGE CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 207, 12 September 1901, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY BREACH OF PRIVILEGE CASE.

The country will not look with any degree of satisfaction upon the two days' debate which lias taken place in Parliament upon a trumpery breach of privilege case. The representative of the "Dunedin Star," having obtained information with regard

to certain proceedings before a committee on a subject of public interest. promptly wired it to his paper, which published it, as any enterprising journal would do. lustead of taking

steps to prevent such information leaking out, or, what would be a great deal more to the purpose, adopting the House of Commons practice of

opening these committees to the press, members wasted two whole days in a futile discussion. Tbe net result is a cost of about £500 to the country, a loss of time which is urgently needed for the discussion of

important measures, and an advertisement for the "Dunedin Star," which the proprietors will be glad to pay £15 for now and on any future

occasion. It is most vexatious to see such fooling when measures like the Fire Brigades Bill, urgently wanted by the country, and the Cycles Bill, which would prove of great public utility, are thrust aside oil the plea that there is no time to deal with them. The purpose of the debate was not really to vindicate the privileges of Parliament, but to get a slap at the Premier, who wisely had taken up, the stand that the offence, if any had been committed, was beneath the notice of Parliament. But in cxecut-

ing this scheme the Opposition ignominiously failed, because a Ministerial motion to impose a nominal fine was adopted in the end. Parliament comes out of the affair with little dignity, and those who forced on the discussion for the purpose of baiting Mr. Seddon find they have been made to figure in a very unpleasant light before their constituents.