THE PORIRUA TRUST CASE

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 63

THE PORIRUA TRUST CASE

THE PRIVY COI'XCIL'S REMARK^

LONDON, June 28

Lord Halsbury (Lord Chancellor), t-peakmg vi the Hou^e of Lord^ declared that the feeling aroused iv New Zealand regarding tho Privy Council's judgment in the Porirua tru-<t appeal wa- ba.se<i on a total misappreheii'-ion on the part of the colonial judges. The nienrbf-ib of the Judicial Appeal Committee had a^ured him that they had never intended to attack the New Zealand Court of Appeal or oonxment in any way on the character and conduct of the proceeding 1 -.

(Feoii Ora Owx Gorsesi'oxdext )

WELLINGTON, June 29

In connection with the troub!" that aroeo between the Ncu Zealand judgea and the Privy Council regarding the l'orirtia ease, th.o Premier lias received t lie following cable, which expliuns itself, from Uie Agentgeneral: — "In reply to Lord Hawketbury, the Lord Chancellor made the following observations : ' I ve*"y much regret to say that I think that owing to a misapprehension of what was intended by the< words used there has been a. feeling created m New Zealand in respect to the judicial dr-cision of the Pnvy Council. Accordingly, I have thought it rijrkt to mako inquiry on that subjoct, and I am happy to say I havo

received assurances from the learned judges who decided the case that they never intended to make any attack whatever on. the Court of Appeal m New Zealand. The mode in winch the case was conducted and certain observations contained in the judgmont of the Court of Appeal in New Zealand induced the learned judges to make the remarks towards which remonstrances had been made, but I am assured by the learned judges that it neier occurred to any of them that in the observations they thought right to make they were making an attack on the Court of Appeal in New Zealand, or intended in any way to comment on the character of or conduct of the proceedings of the Court of Appeal. I trust tliat this assurance will be conveyed to the Court of Appeal of New Zealand, and that the feelings aroused will be found to have been based on a total misapprehension.' "