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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 14 July 1880, Page 2

A gross injustice has been done to the Hon. J. T. Peacock, a member of the Legislative Council. Some days ago a statement was telegraphed through the Colony that the hon. gentleman had given notice that he would move, " That the Government should deduct from some other part of the Estimates sufficient to pay Legislative Councillors the usual honorarium." Of cours.. such a motion as this, coming t'rom a wealthy man, caused not a little astonishment, and the hon. gentleman has been rather roughly handled by some writers in the newspapers. No wonder, then, that Mr. Peacock called attention to the matter in the Legis'ative Council yesterday as a question of privilege. However, he was pleased to say that the reporter had been good enough in a letter to ex-: plain tho cause of the error, but he thought it necessary to make a statement to the Council. What the hon. gentleman proposes is that the Government should exclude from the Estimates the amount that would be required' for the honorarium, or, in other words, that no honorarium should be paid to Legislative Councillors. There is a wide difference between the actual notice of motion and that put into Mr. Peacock's mouth, aiid it is difficult.to tell how the mistake occurred. It is, however, satisfactory to be assured by the Speaker of the Council that the reports of Paliament telegraphed by the Association are extremely accurate. It mijst also be satisfactory to Mr. Peacock to find that the reporter who committed the error had the grace to acknowledge 'the mistake. Only one thing now remains to be don 9, and that is for those writers who have condemned Mr. Peacock for proposing to rob poorly paid officials in order that he might obtain his honorarium to retract. Will they do so? Will they show their readiness to bestow praise where they have censured, now that they find the case is entirely reversed ?