AN EXPLANATION.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7260, 21 January 1889, Page 6

AN EXPLANATION.

TO THE BDITOB.OF THB PRESS. Sm—Your report of what took place yesterday in Mackay v Oram is not quite accurate. In j ustice to mc I would therefore ask you to insert this correction. In the first place, Mr Seager had not previously intimated his intention to claim expenses in open Court. I Was therefore taken by surprise, and at 12.301 asked the Judge to take the usual adjournment for lunch to enable my clients to settle with Mr Seager, who suddenly claimed as an <- >>crt, £5 ss—a sum most people do not . >.Vy in their pockets. It was on his iiouor's most peremptorily refusing this request that I complained of want of courtesy. His Honor then said that from what had come before the Court in another case he did not consider that I was entitled to consideration. Thereupon I respectfully protested against any reference being made to anything that took place outside the case then being heard, and submitted that the Judge had no right to make the remark or allow it to influence the case in hand. The Judge asserted that he had, and on my again protesting ordered mc to sit down. 1 sat down, and then rose and said, "Your Honor, after what has occurred I decline to appear before you any further in this case. I sat down and waited. After a pause my junior, Mr Bowman, was appealed to. I did not throw down my brief and leave the Court immediately, nor in any way lose my temper. What I said was said deliberately and without passion, believing that I had just cause to take the course I did. In conclusion, allow mc to say that the scene of yesterday was only a climax to what had taken place on four previous days.—Yours, See., _____ H. S. Austin, Christchurch. 19th January, 1889.