Truth DAMN TRIAL BY JURY!

NZ Truth, Issue 131, 21 December 1907, Page 4

Truth

DAMN TRIAL BY JURY!

Published Every Saturday Morning ao? Luke's lane (opp Mannersstreet), Wellington, N.Z. SUBSCRIPTION (IN ADVANCE), 13S, PER ANNUM. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1907.

— *■ "Hansard" is a good tell-tale, and the regretable feature of the publication is that it does not get into the hands • of the public with the regularity it deserves. It is useful when impudent, posturing politicians are giving an account of their stewardship. It helps to prove the sort of liars and traitors that they are. Now, -when Sir Joe Ward's legislative abortion, "The Gaming and Lotteries Act" was being discussed, Tom Wilford sought to give the wretched gambler some sort of a fair deal by proposing that keepers of gaming houses should be liable to six months' imprisonment, instead of three months , so as to enable the . gambler to appeal to a jury to decide his guilt or otherWise. Roman Catholic Irish politician Joe Ward, who seems to have "ratted" on all his principles, opposed this proposition tooth and nail. "Handsard" gives the" division, and the public is now able to judge who,* m the House of Reps., favor trial by jury for the offender. Those who favored trial by jury were : — Arnold . Kaihau Remington Barclay Lang Rutherford Davey Lawry Stevens Field Lewis Symes Fraser, A. L. D. Mander Witty. Guinness Mas.ey TELLERS. Hall Okey Major Hogan / Parata Wilford. Izard Those who, like ' Joe Ward, place entire confidence m Magistrates to convict, and^who, like Joe Ward, insulted the community . by practically declaring that juries would prove per jurers and traitors when a gambler was on trial for his liberty were : — Aitken Hornsby Stallworthy Allen i E. G. Houston Steward Barber Laurenson Tanner Buddo McGowan Thomson Carroll McNab Ward Dillon Millar Wood. Ell ' Ngata Fowlds Poole . TELLERS. Graham Seddon Colvin Gray Sidey Kidd. Jury deriders, therefore, carried the day by four votes. Again, m subclause 3 of clause 19 of the Act, which provides for the punishment of any person found without lawful excuse on a "quarantined" and declared gaming house, by the infliction of a penalty, the maximum of which is £100 fine or three months gaol, Mr Wilford sought to give the "criminal" some shadow of justice by being tried by a jury, and moved that six months ' imprisonment should be the maximum gaoling. Joe Ward, who declares himself m favor of trial by jury for everyone, but a gambler, again succeeded m showing the kind of Irish traitor he is, and showed more than ever how he fears the gang of religious cut-throats who are awaiting a favorable moment to stir up a seerarian stink. For and against giving the alleged gambler the right of every Briton to be tried by a jury of his own countrymen, the following division is recorded m "Hansard" :— For— Arnold • Herries Ross Barclay Izard Rutherford Fisher Lawry Symes Fraser, A. L. D. Major Wilford. Fraser, W. Mander Guinness Massey TELLERS. Hall Okey Davey Heke Poland Witty. Against— Aitken Hornsby Sidey Allen, E. G. Houston Stallworthy Barber Kaihau Steward Buddo f Laurenson Tanner Carrol* Lethbridge Thomsqn Dillon McGowan ' Ward Ell McNab 1 Wood. Fowlds Millar Graham Ngata TELLERS. Gray Poole Colvin Hogg Seddon Kidd. The jury deriders had their way by nine votes. Voters should store this division list and resurrect it at election time. If any poltroon politician can justify thc insult levelled at the community well and good. Thc publication of this division list is not calculated to do those politicians any good with their constituents.