LIBEL CASE SEQUEL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 748, 22 February 1910, Page 5

LIBEL CASE SEQUEL.

CLERGYMAN AMD-M,P. 'ALLEGED BTOTNG O3F EVIDENCE.. > By-Ttletrana-Frcu Aseod«*lon-OocTrI«hl (E«. February 22, 0.5 0.m.) Melbourne, February -21. Patrick Hill, ex-postal employee, has been committed for trial on another charge of suborning witneeses in the Eonald-Harpor libel case. The Eev. J. B. Ronald, it will bo remembered, sned Mr. Eobert Harper, who represents Mcrnda (Victoria) in the Federal House of Eeprosentatives, for £3000 damages for libel,! and a verdict was given last May for defendant, THE FINDING IN THE LIBEL CASE. ALLEGED BAD LANGUAGE FILTHY STOEEES. : :rk' : o Hill has already been committed for. ■;:;,' trial on a similar charge Some of the y : • "•'■;•'■ witnesses deposed that Hill, who ckimed'V ; K to be acting on behalf of Harper, offered. >.■ • : i them considerable eums and .promised ;-•:•..■ them permanent situations if thoy would ',■•■:'?',s give ovidence against' Eonald.; fnsamo— ; : ? witnesses'deposed that they had '■' -v.s received similar promisee from' v young ;f; 'S Harper.; They, alleged; that; the evidence ';.<• i : M they gave in the libel action was mantt. ' ' factured. and false. . Hill tolilv one •'. witf.' V;..: -.: ness that he got JE2SO from. Harper fbr v ; : - s ;':i securing . .■■...'■'.- :- ; ;-3 J'' :: '^';:'a; l \ : ;; ■_The. hearing of the'ease' in which the '-'.'ji- , %; Eov. J. B. Eonald sought to recoverfronv 'p-'fl Mr.r.E.- Harper, M.H.E.i-. the: Bum'.of • : as damages for alleged slander i and : X '■ •'- libel,, was, conoluded.before Mr. -Justice' '"v..'" Hodges.and ra .jury, of ■• twelve'-in-the'/-''' : ' : '\ First Civil Court,.Melbourne, on May ■last-;-.vThe'-inry'-- , answered" the .questions ''iKiAS put to. it'in favour; of iidefendant. ■■'■'■ '■.'" \ .■;.' s'?;' In addressing the^nry,■.Mγ;-".: ■ StMm':>'<s- - said he.left it to the to'eay ; : '■ r i if .the,words meant that the plaintiff in. the-habit .of uang. bad .'language and'' , ..;.;-': was -unfitted for his office as an ordained ; ■ ■'■-' clergyman. Were the- words.true? '■ The^"'i ; . : : : burden'..'of. proof .lay./.with .the '6. &<*•<, ,fendant, : . and in : the'.ordinary ■• course'-■■•'■'• ■;i wonld haye :exp_ected .that Mr.' Man-'.1. : 0i ger, ■• who. he said was.■:■ his informant,' , '' • ;i'.i; would be called. They:had heard of-members of .Parliament as being so' un-'. v'-,lSji« :WJling or incapable.of giving'much help. '-vMv! Another ..who had ■ beenl called', had' told '''.:•'',:■ them that \a; member had'--exhorted ■■ Mr. ';})': ; ;Sj Eonald not,' to . bringi.them "ih.' r They ;: .•' ; - , J might, as ordinary citiiens, have ex-': !■ ; S pected .Mr. Harper-to call 5 Mr.' Mauger,:' .'.-;■ - ; ? but there appeared to. : be; different dasses. ;: •' •;¥! in the' commuuify,;.ordinary.'citizensand V:.,•:■.,! members 'of- Parliameht..; 7 The" evidence:..:':■:":? .of Mr.. Fuller wes no proof that plain-' :i - ; ' ; " ; . tiff had toloV filthy, stories]' only'that Mr. Fuller eaid he! had .'rebuked him.'' . As 'to '-■' ■;'. Ch the, other evidence, of -plaintiff's actions, ■;■';;■;; the jury must ..decide they : be-S''.' :: - l 'J3 : lieved,-;the. 1 plaintiff- or '.the- other.-;. witnesses., It rested mth.them, oil.the'facts ,';..1 ; . : ' to say_ if the.letter was malicious.; Deal- : a : 9 : in|.':with,- : the quesUoii'-'ofl'.'damages,'■•'•'"' to'•''-•'^•■•■■ l pointed. out; that: Mr. , , Eonald •Mi .;< been ',•; 'iH put, in the., list, of ministers, 'and had;re- : •■:.: : .A ceived 'his share., of,' work. , .-., There•'.■;was'•■'•'•' : talk;. why 'plaintiff had > never'- obtained <■■ ■■v, ■$ permanent ...employment, ;,and v the , r-.jury/:-'■'.■■: : ?.'A,d must-lpok : rbund.,'that;',question.firmly,squarely, arid in all'its aspects.';: .There; '- : p-'i were, why, the- plains ": ; ~'';':~i tiff should not get a permanent call; Mr/ V. ■ ■ .Harper.had said .that .Mr.,E6nald:::told;V/:-:l himohis advocaoy'.of,Home- Eule■ had. set:'■"■' '■■■ : fy. the';. Orange bodyjagairist' , him;i .It/was ; -': : '■- put; that. other: people' because "•".■-'"■■"■■:■/ hehad become amember of Parliament ---'''1 They,: could: ; not' ignore, these ; ciroum-- ■■'■-■ '•■ : stances.' There Beemed,,to-be at:the'bot-''>': 'Hi torn, a,Btill.more.fundamental bbjeotion. ■As.he understood theiPresbyterianChurch -■:':« a man got general call, when' they '?. ' ; -V : ;-i ;asked.\to;leave all and;follow.Him only.- : '?' There , came then to him, in the ordinary •' T ■sense/ the s call to a special; congregation. -' •''-■■■•'•'"" ■ : It was.thetheory that this: was the high- - v '•"■■' eat ■profession,- and that: goinjr.intb ix a '■'■• man,, practically-said:, not,-• "This :is my ■'■■?■'•■ "•■ way f of ..earning •. a living, but this is' the' : <- '.' .walk in life I have,elected.,Vl,have"put^-•'■ ■''" : my- hand, to .the. plough,: I ; cannot' tnni : ■■:■' : -";- bapk,..'and.caught bythe,political-'fover.' .! ■;■.■■'■ ■> ,' th i?:; ma 'i' ileft.his'; chargevand -entered •■ s-- ; pounds,: and remained v there." vHe , '. re- •' : •" A: omined ;a:politiciariftm v theeleotoTs'went - ; ' ;i off :: lum,.and-hisvway;of living , was gone.-' « was.thenvhe came those-he-■j ?l' ' and said, ■" I ailt ' t" serve' God >"■- : ' : i .ana,.the,;Churqh,.now.",..Was -not' that : I; - /: 'i cpnsideration':likely,' to that ':: ■ '■': stern.;body, they, hadread' so iriuoh of inf"'.' - : '-% nistory, those.-people who ; would make'a■'';' : - :: clergyman,';however old,;"gang 6'ef his '•'•''■ '--i fundamentals":?. Instead 'af. standing .'•as; : -' ! '' : a clergyniariand minister of,-Christ; ab- '■ ! i> ;eolutely between-labour and capital; try-i: ; r r'ing to draw thern: together; he'had - done ; ;i - '' what.'he could''to' embitter 1 them: "That was no;part of his'-duty, as a olerevman. -'■' J -.--I Was-it.ndt likely, there would be'obiec-' - -1 pon to him , coming, back? '' ■■-.' -,' .■■■■'■'■'■■'•' -'-^■'•* -.- The 'jury gave, the to' ; -''" : 'i .the.questions:— '.- : : -I'. ,; ;. ; ■,■'"■■'•;:""■• v;-.'•■■'-. ■■: •:-V■:'■. '■■!■'• were': thejwo'rds used by, the'-i,v v! defendant m the conversation.:which l took•'"'i ■'' '■■ ■ >• : place between'MrV;Stocks, -Mr.iMXaugfc'»| - : "» ; ' un, and yourself- on' September 23,-1906 i's--'• :^V; -vj heari : that ; Eona'ldrhad ; been^ rebuked;by some of the;.menlbers'of the '■■','[■ ■ Labour, party-for using'.::improper-Man.'' • guage/: or..words>i.that effect. *>.■?>■■ Hi■■•■:■- ■'■■ (2)i Were those., words 'spoken iof ".r'tho '■>. s ' ; ! i plaintiff .itf,his capacity as 'aclergymanP 'J:~l' i;i —No; , as;a: politician. :: , . ,^;.r:;':i ;^.'.i.^: ; ;- : :',: ; '! ' "(3) Have, those words tie'meanine '•'aj« ' '-" '3 'the: plaintiff X -'(1) ''::i ; :' injure ;the, plaintiff} in his'capacity'as an ;, : '^ : ordained; olergymah?—No. , : V ''■ ; ".i-~^.'.~':--y:-A : \': -' "(Sj.i Did; the; intend'that ■ : "P-V- ; 5 those , 'words ehould.be repeated ; byStocks? fV;?> > ,: --- t-No; ; .:-■."-"■?..--:;::-■■=■. ;\.'-,-.; ■-.-.■■.■■. ' : };M■■■'■'';:•'<, ■':■ '^"■V : ' ;:;-"(6) they : spokei 'under'^such '' oir-! 'UJ'IZ cumstances 'that the. defendant)•"■'"as-' »'>'.■'•■■'{"; reasonable' ina'n, 1 - ought ■ to>have known ; \\'- '■■'■ that they, would be repeated i-'by "Sv ; v--V'-' to:, the .presbytery, of .which '>he"f- -was "a ■;'■/'■:■' s member?— No. •'.-:■ '/■'■.^'■< : ,'-''i-i-' , 'l ■.;'/-■; vi; ~ :s; ,- ^-.'.',i'.-'.'

'". "(7) Were ,the '. words ■ maliciously "ut. - '■' : > :■ -' tered by the/defendant?--No;:^ : ; {■..'■■'■.:*.',! V^. if. l"( 8) Are'.the :wordsvwitho'ut the alleged'■'■■■'■ meaning. true ■■^■;-.^----r'-i^y\<yn!i: : i ;■:■■ "(9) .Are the worde ! with the alleged^ : -' u meaning hueP—Not 1 answered ■■■•■■.•■'■'.' ':---.'- : ■s£■*■■& '■ ;; "(M Did;the 1 defendant'write'theWords contained ;in' paragraph .B.'-of the state- ''■/•! ment of clnini', (tho ■ alleged libel) mali-. :'x: "-i ciously?—No... ■.-. ■■: '• ° ■ v.; -.- ■'.■-. "(11) Do: the words bear, the' meanink'-'i■'• " ; ! alleged^in the 'said paragraph?— No;- - : >.• •" '. ■'n ._■ "(12).Have the words;.with'such,mean-;; ;,.'"'< ing as. yoii .find them' to have; 1 a"'ten- '''"■' -'* .dcncy. to;,injure the.plaatiff in;his' caU-•.'■'-■ : 's ing as" an /ordained 'minister,' or .do' they ';' - ;; hold., him up • to' hatred, contempt;-■ ■ ori' ; -t-' ridicule F^-Np.' , -- 1 ': ;'.■■:'■;■...: ''.;.■; [■',:: :;■- .^:yf--:-k

'•';: "(13) Are his words without, the alleged meaning - true ?—Yes.': 'V; ■. ■ :, '" : :'-w' ■ "(14) Are ■ the words. with the' ■' alleged meaning trueP—Not answered."'; ■•■,.' Judgment was entered for defendant, ''