THE EDWARDS CASE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2341, 1 February 1893, Page 2

THE EDWARDS CASE.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, January 81. Mr. Edwards has forwarded a letter to the Press Association, askiDg them to correct an erroneous statement in an association telegram from Auckland, " by whipb," Mr. Edwards says, " it is made to appear I have been endeavoring to induce the law societies to interfere with a view to the validation of the appointment of Supreme Court judge conferred upon me. I have had no communication with acy law society whatever, upon the subjeot of my appointment. Some six months a°o, immediately after tbe arrival io this colony of the judgment of the Privy Council, I wrote to the Wellington Law Society, pointing oat that the judgment of the Privy Council unequivocally decided that the appointments of five out of tbe eight judges appointed sinoe 1858 were invalid, for tbe same reason as my own ; tbat two of these appointments are still subsisting ", tbat the action taken by the Ministry with respect to myself has thrown doubt and discredit upon tbe validity of a vast majority of tbe judioial acts done io this colony since 1858 ; and that this is more glaring, as, according to tbe published statements of the Ministry themselves, proceedings against me were undertaken at tbe request of Sir Boberfc Stout, professing to act as counsel for a felon sentenced by me, and with a view to tbe release of suoh felon from gaol (see Parliamentary Paper, H., 18, 1891, No. 77). Under these circumstances, I suggested to the Wellington District Law Society tbe propriety of urging upon the Ministry their duty to pass an Aot to validate tbe appointments of other judges whose appointments were subjeot to the same objection as my own, and to remove doubts thrown by the Ministry themselves upon tbe vast majority of judicial acts done since 1858. Although my letter to 1

the Wellington Law Society was not written for publication, and I am astonished it was not treated as confidential, I have not the smallest objection to its contents being known to all the world; but I do decidedly object to the publication of a statement which is utterly without foundation. I have never sought the assistance of any law society with reference to my appointment. I am, etc, W. B. Edwards."