TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 807, 25 July 1870, Page 4

TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

[Fpom the Evening Post, 16tn July.J This Reporting Debates Committee have laid a report on the table of the House, which, among other things, contains a letter from Mr Ormond to the Colonial Secretary, and by the Co Jonial Secretary ,laid before the com wittee, suggesting that the Hansard etalf should be required to prepare summaries of the debates in the House for transmission by telegraph to the various newspapers of the Colony, The committee, however, declared that they could not see their way to adopting the suggestion. This is certainly one of the most audacious moves which the Fox miuistry has attempted to make, and that is saying a good deal. It is simply an attempt to control the freedom of the Press, and send such versions of parliamentary proceedings abroad to the Colony as may suit the views of those in power, as of course hou. members could have no oppor tuuity of correcting the summaries. If such a course were to be followed, newspapers would become useless, except as a medium for conveying Mi material dicta. The thing is absurd in itself, as the reporters could not manage to do it, and neither the House nor the country would stand it, but it just shows to what lengths the Ministry are prepared to go, We say the Ministry, for although the suggestion apparently came from Mr Ormond, yet the veriest tyro in public affairs knows the position which that hon. gentlemau holds with regard to the Government, and the readiness, which he displays on all occasions* tp. adopt suggestions emanating from the Treasury Benches, and give them" to t\u House as proceeding froni a private member. We can trace, the. bitter rancour which dictated expressions at Dunedin and Christ church, and,again peeped out in the House on a more recent occasion, in this attempted move. It would have served a double purpose in preventing unpleasant truths from being too soon disseminated, and gra tiiied revenge by depriving an opponent of his means of living. It was a very excellent scheme, but seems hap pily to have failed.

pro the Editor of the Evening Post.J Sir, —A paragraph appeared.J'n Sa turelay's Post concerning a suggestion •* that the Hansard stall should be required to prepare summaries of thf <u bates in the House, for transmission by telegraph to the various newspapers of the Colony." The writer says > — '* This is certainly one of the most au dacious m- ves which the Fox Ministry has attempted to make, and that is saying a good deal. It is simply an attempt to control the freedom of the Press, and send such versions of parliamentary proceedings abroad to the Colony as may suit the views of those in power, as of course lion, members could have no opportunity of correcting the summaries. If such a course ■were to be followed, newspapers would become useless, except as a medium for conveying Ministerial dicta." If the writer had read the telegram from Mr Ormond, he would have seen that the suggestion did not emanate from that gentleman, or from the Government, but from Mr Wood, proprietor of the Hawke's Bay Herald. The Colonial Secretary immediately replied that " the Government cannot inter- j fere in the preparation of reports of debates, but the telegram will be sent to the Reporting Debates Committee, who will take such steps as they think desirable in the matter." I was requested to lay the matter before the committee, which I did, and the result was, as your reporter says, " that they could not see their way to adopting the suggestion." I may add that the Colonial Secretary used almost the same words to me that your reporter has used, saying that " if such a course were adopted, press telegrams would be looked upon as useless, except as media for conveying Ministerial dicta." —1 am, &c,

C. C. N. Barron, Chief Reporter Hansard Staff. [We feel obliged to Mr Barron for liis explanation, given no doubt " by command ;" but it only shows further ramification of the affair alluded to. Most people who see the Hawke's Bay Herald know something of the position which Mr Wood occupies towards Mr Grmond, and we may fairly assume tue case to stand thus:—The Govern

merit (or members of it) move Mr Ormond, Mr Ormoud moves Mr Wood, and Mr Wood endeavors to move the Reporting Committee—" wheels with in wheels." However, whether Mr Wood, professing to be an independent journp'ist, acted as a cat's-paw of Mr Ormond, or on his own responsibility, he has equal reason to be ashamed of himself—Ed. E.P.]