THE MARINE SCANDAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3676, 28 February 1899, Page 6

THE MARINE SCANDAL.

THE PREMIERES SPEECH IN THE SOUTH. CAPTAIN JONES'S CERTIFICATE TO BE CANCELLED. RUMOURED DISMISSAL OF CAPTAIN ALLMAN. PRESS ASSOCIATION. • Dunedin, Monday. In the course of his address at Kaitangata on Saturday the Premier, in alluding to the Allman charges, said the Grand Juries in this country were opposed to the present Administration. The Government brought in a Bill to abolish Grand Juries, and because it did that the Grand Jury in Allman’s case prostituted its position to have a slap at the Government. The Grand. Juryman who was foreman was one of the strongest opponents of the Government in Wellington, and a strong supporter of Mr John Dnuthie. If' Grand Juries were ; go.ng to let political bias influence them, it was time they were done away with. The Grand Jury system was simply trial by class for their own preservation. He knew of a Grand Jury who brought, in no bill in a case of murder, when the party charged had admitted the murder. And if a chance was at any , time'given, i Grand Juries did not. hesitate to show 'bias. 1 _ .' | As regards t-h© Allman case, tn© law | had been proved to be defective) arid) it had been found that no offence could have occurred under it. The Govern-; ment could not prejudice the situation by taking any action till after, the trial,; but it was now taking action, and; he said that the certificate which had; been issued ought at all hazards to be cancelled/and if it required a special Act' of Parliament' to cancel it, he would bring in a Bill to cancel that certificate. It is stated that Captain Allman, Nautical Adviser to the Government, has been dismissed, and that the Govern-) ment intends to send to England for l an up-to-date examiner of marine offi-; cers. .■' . ■ ' '