WITHIN THE COLONY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 806, 8 August 1894, Page 3

WITHIN THE COLONY.

NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.

(Per Press Association.)

County Council Conference. Wellington, This Day.

At a meeting attended by representatives of 1(5 County Councils it was decided to farm an association on the lines of the Municipal Association. Where the Counties Act is not in foroe Road Boards will be allowed to eleot delegates.

An Important Libel Action. Gisborne, This Day.

The Supreme Court was occupied all day with the case Crawford and others v. Dunlop in which the plaintiffs (who are the eight hotol keepers of Gisborne) sued Mrs Dunlop, writer of a letter in the Herald of March 13th, headed, “ Revelations of the trade,” and her husband, for £2500 damages for alleged libel. The defendants’ counsel claimed that now women had been given the franchise the husband could not be joined in the case ; but Judge Conolly said he would not like to decide to that effect. The letter contained charges of gambling and robbing drunken men, aduleration of liquors, employment of women of the lowest reputation and that publicans annually robbed the public of £30,000. Justification was not pleaded and the issues will be confined to whether the letter is a libel and the amount of damage.

Women’s Political League. Auckland, This Day. The Woman’s Political League carried a resolution against the Divoroe Bill and regretting that the Minietry had revised the non-borrowing poliey laid down by the Ballanoe Ministry.

Supreme Court. Wellington, This Day. In the Supremo Court, Frank Masters, with a previous bad reeord, pleaded guilty to indeeent assault on a child of tender years and was sentenced to seven years’ impriionment. Important to School Committees. Auckland, This Day. At the Education Board a letter was received from the Chairman of the Te Nahu school committee relative to the case, Miss Fisher v. Wrigley, in which he asked if letters from the Committee to the Board re the conduot of teaohers were privileged. The Chairman stated in the letter that tho deoision in the oaso mentioned placed the school committees in so critical a posithat the Committee wished for a written decision for guidance. Mr Cooper, a solicitor, who is a member of the Board, forwarded his views on the question and said the directions given at the trial by Justice Conolly were quite sufficient to protect a committee who acted in the bona fide exercise of duty and no malieo were shown.