AUSTRALIAN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1196, 3 August 1911, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NOTES

THE LATEST BY .MAIL,.. .. ' Sydney, July 28. Tbvchiof topic is tho jiolitical crisis in Now South Wales. Tub two- dominant forces nave been watching each other liko tiro armies, but the Independents held the key to the situation. Tho question was: '.'What will Mr. Lcvien and Mr. Bnncr do?" The other Independents, had thrown, in lot .with tho Liberals, but tho other two were au unknown quantity when the government decided to ask for a .short recess. Tho position bccaiuo to acuto that Ministers decided to hand in their, resignations. In the absence of the Tremier (Mr. M'Gowen) tho position became complicated, and cablegrams aro now chasing the Premier through America acquainting him of the position, and requesting his consent to'resignation. Until this is received, there seems to be a constitutional didieuUy in i the way of a complete retirement of the' Labour Ministry. In the meantime mattera are hung up. I When Mr. Holman (tho Acting-Premier) annouhcud in the , Legislative Assembly that he had placed'the Ministry's resignation in tho bauds of tho Licutcnaut-tiov-crnor,' there was. great .cheering from the Opposition as well as front the. Govern-ment-benches. ' , . • "The proper thftig to do,"' exclaimed one Government supporter. When Mr. Wade objected to an adjournment., contending that the only person constitutionally entitled to resign was tho Premier, there were cries, of "AVell, go to tho country," and other persistent' intermotions from tho Government followers. Mr. Wood pointed out that Mr. ll'Gowcn still remained Premier, and that it would be within his i>ower when. ho returned to form another Ministry. Mr.' Wade held that ; the only circumstances of which the House was cognisant at that juncture was that the Premier of tho State was away, ,and that he had not tendered the resignation of himself and his colleagues. In those circumstances the 'procedure, was entirely premature. When-consul tod tho Premier, would havo a pcTfect■ right\to saj.that- lie would-nol resign, and the House o'ugbt to'be made awaro of his opinions on the point before adjourning. Mr. Holman subsequently stated that the Lieutenant-Governor had conditionally accepted the resignation, but did not mention the condition.' MR. HUGHES, M.P., AT LAW. Yesterday tha Pull Court dismissed,, with cosh, the appeal, by Mr. ; W. ,M. Hughes, which arose out of the action heard before tho Chief Justice and a jury of four, in which Richard Bdlinger claimed ,£IOOO damages for alleged breach of agreement and assault. The verdict was for plaintiff, tho damages being fixed, at J5.250. In giving '"judgment,. Mr. Justice Pring said it had been left to tho jury to say whether nine days' notice to quit, the farm was reasonable notice. The jury, most properly, ho thought, considered it was not. and he could not "conceive of any jury finding anything else. Then came th 9 question.' of damages for breach of conlmd. '11k. juij 'f blind in favour of plaintiff for J2IOO. J Now it was: contended that no more than nominal damages 6hould bo given. There was qnjte sufficient evidence to justify tho jury, in giving plaintiff ,£IOO. It seemed to him to be very fair and reasonable. ' There was also tho count for assault, continued Mr. Justice Pring. The jury found in respect of those assaults the sum of .£l5O for plaintiff. With regard to the assault of July 19 it was admitted ' that there was no justification for it. Therefore plaintiff was entitled to obtain some damages. The jury assessed damages for both cases, and it was contended that, it should have been!done separately.-His Honour _was glad that the decision had the merits of. commonsense. because if it had gone the other way it would have had the effect of seriously affecting share farming in all cirenmstances. His Honour said he thought there were no grounds for upsetting the verdict. . Mr. Justice Sly-and Mr. Acting-Justice Ferguson agreed, and the appeal was dismissed, with costs.