THE LAND SCANDALS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9153, 27 July 1906, Page 5

THE LAND SCANDALS.

MR CRICK ti SUSPENSION.

ISSUE OF WRITS FOR DAMAGES.

[PBZS& ASSOCIATION.] (Received July 26, 3.12 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 26. In connection with his suspension by the State Parliament, Mr Crick has issued writs againsb the Hon. $N. McCoust, Speaker, and Mt Harnett, SeTgeant-at-Arms of the Assembly, claiming £2000 damages -in each case.

STATEMENT BY WILLS.

REASONS FOR OPPOSING EXTRADITION.

THREATS AGAINST HIS DETRACTORS.

(Received July 27, 12.25 a.m.) MELBOURNE, July 26. Willis, who was extradited from Durban and has arrived in Australia, declined to be interviewed, but supplied a statement to the press, chiefly recounting the details of his fight against extradition. The reason he gave was that as, an innocent man he was traduced and slandered by Parliament and the Ministry. He was arrested' in a cowardly .way and cruelly thrust into a Kaffir prison, and was charged with a crime which they knew was trivial and political. He remarked that when he got close to his detractors he would dash the brains- out of some of them.

The police authorities of New South Wales have been about a year trying to get William Nicholas Willis back to Sydney. In the early part of last year Mr Justice Owen held an enquiry into the administration of the Lands Department in that State, and revelations were made of extraordinarily heavy payments to Willis to< facilitate applications' for land. Scores of thousands of pounds were shown to have been,' received by Willis and others and prosecutions wean© instituted (there is now a criminal charge pending against W. P. Crick, eot-Minisfcer of Lands). . . uen the police went to arrest Willis it was found that he had' fled to Durban. The South African authorities • were communicated with and extradition pioeeedings began. These were fought by Willis with much success for several months, but at last extradition was granted. Now | Willis will have to answer a charge of | having in October, 1903, unlawfully conspired with others to make use of one J. B. Stephens to make conditional purchases of land in the Coonamble district, other- \ wise than' for the use, benefit, and advantage of Stephens, an offence punishable by imprisonment with hard labor.

Particulars of Messrs Blennerhassett and Son's (Eltham) mart sale to be held to-morrow are advertised. No chemist, who sought in vast ages The phantom Philosopher's Stone, Has handed down that which assuages - The throat-trouble always so prone. Tall Woods, after thirty years* trial, In tests both exhaustive and sure, Ducovered a charm to defy all— Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.