A POLITICAL LIBEL ACTION.

Evening Star, Issue 8717, 8 January 1892, Page 4

A POLITICAL LIBEL ACTION.

The following is the statement of claim in the action brought by Mr G. Hutchison, M.H.K., against the Premier and the publisher of the * Wanganui Gerald ’ Company : —(I) Plaintiff is, and was at the time of happening of the events hereinafter mentioned, the member for the electoral district of Waitotara in the House of Representatives ; (2) in the last session of Parliament a Bill was introduced by defendant John Ballanpe, aa Premier, ]iy which o| members of Parhamept'was proposed' to bp increased ; (H) plaintiff, in bis place in the House of R ipresentatives and at a public meeting of his constituents at Patea, spoke of the Bill as a dishonest measure; (4) defendant John Ballanoeafterwards addressed a public meeting of the constituents of plaintiff at Patea, and the report of such speech was published iu the * Wanganui Herald ’ newspaper of the Bth December, and 1 Yeoman ’ newspaper of the 12th December last, and such report contained the following words concerning plaintiff“ Mr Hutchison had told them that the Payment of Members Bill was a dishoneast measure, but he forgot to tell them that he had signed a paper in the lobby of the Rouse to the effept thttj; he wag’in favor of the Rill,” meaning thereby that although plaintiff professed to be opposed to the Payment of Members Bill as a dishonest ipeagure, he had aoted so as to promote the passing of the Bill with the object of increasing the payment of members, including himself; (5) defendant James Joseph Boyle was publisher, and defendant Johp Rallanpe was a proprietor, of the said newspapers in whioh the words above set forth were published as aforesaid ; (6) the said publications were false and malicious; (7) plaintiff prays judgment for the sum of 40s as damages against each of the defendants, and he also claims an injunction against each of the defendants to prevent the farther publication of the said libel, or any words to the same effect, The Premier was served with the writ yesterday.