POLITICAL DISPUTE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 179, 14 July 1927, Page 5

POLITICAL DISPUTE.

ACTION FOR SLANDER.

LABOUR M.P. LOSES HIS CASE.

London, July 12. Mr. J. Wheatly, Labour member of the House of Commons for Shettelston, lost a six-day action in Edinburgh against John Maurice Reid Miller and Alexander B. Anderson, from each of whom he claimed £3OOO damages, alleging that a letter that Miller, his Conservative opponent, wrote to Anderson’s newspaper, the “Eastern Argus,” contained slander. The jury, by a nine to three majority, favoured the defendants on the first issue, whether the letter falsely represented Wheatley as a dishonourable, crooked and mean character, and on the second issue, whether Wheatley had no regard for the oath, the jury unanimously favoured the defendants.

The case arose out of Wheatley’s offered to pay £lOOO to anybody proving the truth of rumours which, he contended, reduced his Parliamentary majority. Miller asked Wheatley for an opportunity in the courts of exposing the political pretences of a wealthy man who was pretending to support the abolition of capitalism. Bailie W. Smith, giving evidence, alleged that Wheatley on one occasion in 1919 failed to honour the loyal toast at a Glasgow Corporation luncheon, and had also spoken derogatorily of the Royal family. Miller, giving evidence, said Wheatley, despite strong prohibition professions, held £11,090 worth of shares in a publishing company, his codirectors being men prominent in the liquor trade He contended that Wheatley’s speeches advocated revolution in its proper sense. Lord Murray, summing up, said it was a political dispute, in which great heat had been displayed on both sides Wheatley’s challenge contained the terms “traducers” and “unscrupulous lying campaign of slander.” Miller could not be accused of link of courage in his reply, which Wheatley refused to publish, considering it contained a personal libel. He indulged in a hard-hitting reply, which must be read in the light of the challenge.—(A. and N.Z.)