GOVERNMENT HOUSE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8364, 26 February 1913, Page 8

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

CASE IN COURT CONTENTIONS OF COUNSEL FOR GOVERNMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 25, 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, February 25. In the Government House case, counsel for tho Government contended that from the time of Governor Phillip any land taken possession of in the name of the King belonged to the colony by virtue of any act of a Governor of tho colony. Even before the passing of tho Constitution Act it would not have been competent for the King to take lands from the colony, except through the Governor. The sovereignty of the lands in question, and tho proprietorial rights, were vested in the Governor. If there had been an infringement of the rights of tho Imperial Government the matter would be for negotiation, not for litigation. Counsel also claimed that the Governor was an Imperial officer and was aware of what Ministers had done, yet he did not disapprove. It was conceivable that if the acts of his Ministers infringed Imperial rights he could have dismissed them. The Governor was responsible to the King, and therefore the matter was outside the jurisdiction of the court.