LEGAL COSTS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 234, 3 October 1913, Page 3

LEGAL COSTS.

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In- the House of Representatives on Tuesday Sir Joseph Ward said that he wished to raise a question of privilege in reference- to a statement made by Mr Harris, Member for Waitemata,'at Palmerston North on the previous evening, reported ml a local newspaper as follows:—"He (Mr Harris) quoted from a. return'of law costs paid to legal firms for work under the Lands for Settlement Act. Out of a public expenditure of £11,319 the Findlay Brothers received £6959. This, he declared, was downright corruption, and the time for such iniquity had passed. It was political 'graft.' " A discussion followed in which Mr Harris refused to withdraw or modify his reflections. Subsequently Mr G. W. Russell gave notice to move:—"That there be laid before this House a return showing: (1) The amount paid to the Hon. Mr H. I). Bell's linn, or members thereof, for law cos,ts (a) during each, of the years 1894-96, when Mr H. D. Bell was a Member of the House of Representatives; (b) for the years ended March 31, 1891, and each year thereafter until the appointment of the Hon. Mr H. D. Bell or that of his partner as Crown Prosecutor and Crown Solicitor was terminated. (2) The.total law costs paid to Messrs Stout and Findlay and Findlay, Dalziell and Co. in each year from July, 1894 (when Messrs Stout and Find lay began practice in Wellington), to the date Sir John Findlay resigned his political offices in December, 1911. (3) The total sum in each case^ claimed by owners of land in which Sir John Findlay was engaged as counsel for the Government, and the total sum in each case awarded by the Court."

Mr C. K. Wilson gave notice to move: "That there be laid before this House a return showing the amount of fees paid by the present Government to the firm of Messrs Bell, Myers and 8011, solicitors, Wellington." '