JUDGES AND POLITICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 10

JUDGES AND POLITICS.

'I a L P__U____ ELECTION _________ MB, MASSEY IN CSUTICISM. SIR JOHN" FINDL_.Y_i RETORT. In his address at St. Mark's Hall, Remuera, last night, Mr. W. F. Massey dealt with Sir John Findlay's reference to himself in a speech made recently at St. Aidan's Hall. Sir John Findlay had then stated, in speaking of the Hine charges, that he (Mr. Massey) had practically endeavoured to intimidate the Chief Justice in connection with the speaker's libel action against the "New Zealand Times." Speaking a night or two after in Franklin, he reminded Sir I John that everything he had said was printed in "Hansard" and in the newspapers, and he asked him to collect and make public his statements, and allow the public to judge. Sir John had not done that. Mr. Massey went on to state the history of the libel case to its pre- : sent position of appeal for rehearing to ' the Privy CounciL Incidentally, he - stated that Sir John Findlay was the largest shareholder in the "New Zealand Times," and that he (Mr. Massey) hoped some day to have the opportunity of asking Sir John Findlay in the wit-ness-box, through the medium of his solicitor, who inspired the cartoon in the "Times " which was the subject of the libel action. He quoted from a report of Sir John's speech "that the Chief Justice had practically been told by the Leader of the Opposition that the answer he (Sir Robert Stout) gave to the Government in connection with the Hine charges was influenced by the fact that he had been paid for his services in connection with the Native Land Commission.'' "I give that statement," said Mr. Massey, "an unqualified denial, and if Sir John Findlay was here within two or three yards of mc, I would express my opinion in such emphatic terms that he would never forget them." Mr. Massey quoted further from Sir John Findlay's speech as follows: — "An action was brought against the 'New Zealand Times.' The Judge who had to try the case was the Chief Justice; the plaintiff was the Leader of the Opposition. A few days before that case should have come before the tribunal unsullied by bias of any kind, the bit- ' tcrest thing of the whole course of that wretched business of the Hine charges was hurled at Sir Robert Stout by Mr. ' Massey." There was, Mr. Massey added, only one word which could describe that statement. He asked them to judge between Sir John Findlay and himself, and to record their votes accordingly. : (Continued applause. i _a_P_T|_TION ___-___-ICA_XY DENIED. Sir John Findlay, upon being quesI tioned this morning, on the sub- '< ject of Mr. Massey's imputation that I he, being a shareholder of the "New j Zealand Times." had instigated in that ( j journal the cartoon respecting which Mr Massey brought his recent libel action, indignantly denied having had anything Ito do with it. "The first I heard or ': saw of that cartoon was when it was published. I am not by any means the largest shareholder in the ""Times," as I believe Mr. Massey suggests, and I have interfered in no way with that paper, nor suggested any publication in it. I had absolutely nothing to do with j the cartoon," declared Sir John, who in- ' dignantly repelled the imputation that 'he had "inspired it. "The charge," he continued, "is just as gratuitously false as was the now admittedly baseless but serious charge made by Mr. Massey ; against the late Mr. T. E. Taylor's chaj racter before he died."