THE JUDGE AND THE MINISTER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8532, 24 July 1889, Page 2

THE JUDGE AND THE MINISTER.

A SCENE IN THE HOUSE. This Ward- Hislop correspondence, whioh was luiu on the table on Monday evening, says the correspondent of the Auckland Herald, discloses virtually nothing beyond what was contained in the summary 1 sent yon some days ago. Jndge Ward, on the 23rd o£ April, forwarded a report on Christie's case. He goeß into the whole history of Christie, showing he had a capital of only £1000, while he was indebted to the Colonial Investment Company in £12,000, and conducted a Bystem of trade whick he (Jndge Ward) stigmatises as ''gross dishonesty. 1 ' Christie suoseqaently increased bis liability to the company to £30,000 through " großß misrepresentation," of the value of property pledged for repayment. It appears irom Christie's books, that his turnover was £110,000 for the year 1887, his overdraft £2033, and bis capital £148. From starting business in 1884, till his failure, he lived at the rate of £1200 a year. Jndge Ward then explains the fraudulent transaction of bankrupt dealing with the bill for £134 on which the actual conviction tuok place. He explains bis refusal of the application of Mr Kewton, counsel for L'hristit,, instructed by Hi&lop and Creagb, for leave to appeal, on the ground that it was doubtful whether appeal lay in criminal caaeß under the Bankruptcy Act. He aleo explains how the committal to gaol at Oauaru failed * through a technicality im naming the gaol. ' Be goes on to meet in detail the allegations of the petition, and concludes by pointing ont that Mr Hislop had arranged with the Premier to act as Minister of Justice in the case of his own client, and his firm were taking legal proceedings for he extraction of tbeir client from gaol by Tiabeat corpus. The coirkspondence gave rise to a long discussion on Monday evening, owing to v precis of it having previously appeared in the public press. Mr It. Reeves und Borne other members wanted its premature publication declared v breach of privilege; others, however, objected to this course. The Premier said the discussion waa simply a waste of time. There had been no breach of privilege whatever. The correspondence was a matter of common notoriety, and hon. members hud read it before coving tv the Hohho. If the hoo.se took any notice of the mattar they would be patting themselves in a supremely ridiculous position. He entered a strong protest against such proceeding. No member of lha (iovernment had given any information on the subject. Meßurs. Sumuel, Turnbull, W. P. Reeveß, Sc.bie Mackenzie Fitchett and oilier b spoke strongly ugainst the Ministry on the subject. Alter various other members bad spoken, Hir John Hull suid he had not heard one word to chow it wub v breach of privilege. Tho correspondence was not the property of the douse till laid oa the table, und they had no control over it, ao they had no right to call it a breach of privilege. He held, however, that a very great wrong had been done by tho premuture publication ot the correnpoudonce. lie cmid that either the Judge or the Minister had done a wrong. After further debate, Mr Fish remarked that there had been too much correspondence, and, judging by the floundering in it, there was a unn^er ot its risiug above their nostrils and drowning them. The discussion, which was somewhat hot at times, lasted two hours.

The settlers uround Okato are going to bold a meeting on Monday night next to discuss the present bad state of the County Koade, and to consider the qneauon ot tbeir being kept in a passable mate tor the future^