The Bryce-Rusden Case.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2083, 22 June 1887, Page 2

The Bryce-Rusden Case.

Mb Bbyce has come out victorious in his final contest with Mr Busdeu. Mr Busden in his notorious book, wrote and published some infamously false libels against Mr Bryce in connection with his action in the Native War on the West Coast of this Island. Mr Bryce brought the libeller to account in an English court of law and obtained a verdict for £sooodama' v cs and costs. The trial took p.uce in March, 1836, aud since then Mr Rusien has contrived to keep the matter open by moving for a new trial. The new trial has resulted in a c ompromise, Mr Bryce waiving his claim to a sum of £I3OO of the £oOou damage- veriouMy awarded. Tins leaw ’ ,r - Kusden i. i pay £370" and all cost ae being mo. 1 nously heavy. Mr 1' 'sdou ha- nu- -■ , .1!y ~.dv ail (lie charges •v ii’.i.i agahiK m.r Bryce. As Mr 's slanders cast an unwarrantable _i tiio colonists as well as upon

. ,C 3, it is it matter for the deepest i-it. UMctioa that they have been altogel her disproved and their aiube: severely punished iu pocket. We believe ■hat Mr Rusdon in writing his altogether false statements about the action of Mr Bryce and the Colonial Forces during the West Coast Campaign was to a certain extent misled by information given to him by certain people in high positions in Wellington. Mr Busdeu had no business to accept those statements as reliable without testing them by careful enquiry. Had Mr Eusden looked into Blue Books aud newspapers he would easily have discovered the falsity of the statements made to him. As the case stands, he lias been justly punished for putting forth such statements without proper enquiry aud investigation. Mr Busdeu is not r, specially wealthy man and so by the time he has paid the damages and costs in these libel actions he will be pretty well ruined in purse.