FALSE TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1433, 20 June 1868, Page 6

FALSE TELEGRAMS.

That the telegrams which are forwarded from one colony to another, and reproduced in the several provincial papere as current market intelligence, may sometimes be falsified for the purpose of " rigging " the market, is evident from the following, which we take from tlie Adelaide Advertiser of the 23rd ult. Tlie Advertiser deserves considerablecredit for the energetic manner in which it sought evidence and exposed the attempted deception, and for the spirit which it has shown in the defence of the public interests at considerable risk to itself:— A few -weeks ago we referred to some false telegraphic news which had been eent to Melbourne on the subject of the flour market, the tendency of the said news being of a nature to force up prices. We promised our readers that we would endeavour to find out the author of the said false intelligence. After considerable troub'.e we succeeded, and made known, to the world that Mr. C. Duties had forwarded the telegram to Mr. Cohen, of Melbourn?. We were in a manner forced to make thisknowD, having publicly stated (before being aware who was tho offending party) that if we could discover him. we would put his name in print. Having- made the discovery, there was, therefore, no alternative but to do as we intimated. We did it, and thereupon the editor of this paper was served with a notice of action for libol at the suit of Mr. Davies. Of cjuree we were anxious to meet the case, but after a few days the plaintiff's counsel (Messrs. Stow and Bruce) withdrew the action—plaintiff paying coats—and substiiued another action, this time against the printer inotead of the editor. We were equally willing to in Mr. Davies on this footing, but we now find that ho is as much afraid of his second suit as he was of his firat. No declaration has b?on delivered, and the case cannot come on before the September sittings of the Supreme Court. Now, why ie this delay"? Mr. Davies professes to bo anxious to vindicate his conduct, and why does h<s not do it ? Is he waiting for more provocation ? He Cinnot be waiting for" more evidence, because ho can get in a day all he could get if he waited for a year. It nviy suit Mr. Davies to keep this bugbear of an action hanging over our heads month after month, but it does not suit us to indulge him in hi.4 humor. Uβ has charged us with being libellora, which we deny ; and surely we have a, right to take our trial without delay ? We do not pen these words from any feeling of resentment against Mr. Daviee, but we do not chooso to be paraded for six months as libellers waiting for trial. Wo demand that the ca'e be abandoned, or that it go on. We have distinctly charged Mr. Davies with sending falsa news to a commercial firm in Melbourne, and we want to know why he does not proceed with his action ? It looks as if he was trying to evade the consequencee of his conduct by threatening U9 with legal proceedings which ho dares not bring to an issue. Let him either go on with his action, or confess that he is a propagator of false news; that what we wrote was the simple truth ; and that his pretended action is a mere dodge.

An old bachelor, who had become melancholy and poetical, wrote some verses for the village paper, in which he expressed tho hope that the time would come when he should