THE TWO JUDGES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 65, 25 July 1874, Page 10

THE TWO JUDGES.

The Wellington correspondent of the ' Star' sends the following with regard to the telegram mystery :— ' * " On the motion for the appointment of a Committee re the Ward telegrams, the Premier said he did not consider it desirable to appoint a committee. The Government had considerad the matter carefully for three days, and at the best the charges were so vagne that no action had been taken. Any member would have acted similarly had he been in the Government. With reference to the ' Times' getting hold of the telegrams, where half-a-dozen persons were in possession of information it was just to assume a leakage had occurred through the telegraphists, and that it had gone through large numbers of hands before being published. — Major Atkinson suid that Judge Ward made a very formidable charge against another Judge, and he would have acted very differently. He would have said to Judge Ward : " Prove your charges or retire immediately." An inquiry shopld have been instituted, and he was astonished that the Government should* ask to let matters Btand. If the charges were true, Judge Chapman ought to be dismissed ; if not, Ward should retire. The inevitable opinion, if matters were left as they now stood, would be that the charges were true, but that the Government did not -want to be unkind to Judge Chapman. He hoped the Government would reconsider the matter, and appoint a Royal Commissioner to inquire into it. — Mr Vogel did not think any person in the Colony was competent to examine it, and was doubtful if even Parliament was. — Major Atkinson said the difficulty could be got over by introducing an Act to appoint a Commissioner. — Mr Shepherd thought the motion a most improper one. The Government were entirely responsible, and the House did not know if the Government had finished with the matter. He would not be surprised to learn that Judge Ward was called upon to retire. Messrs. Gillies and Sheehan urged the right of Parliament to take the matter up. — Mr Fox eulogised both Judges and raised as a point of order the competency of Parliament to deal with the matter unless a prima facie case was proved. He supported the motion, but against his will. He agreed with Judge Ward that the telegrams were impudent forgeries. The published telegrams stated that Judge Ward would soon be in Wellington. This point confirmed the previous contention that it must have leaked out through the telegraph. — The Speaker said it was competent for him to put the motion, but he did not think the telegrams of a character to call for an address to the Crown to have Judge Chapman removed ; hence a committee was nnnecessary. — Mr Gillies, in replying, expressed surprise at the Premier offering opposition to on inquiry, and placing such a construction on telegrams as to make it be believed they were private. It was clearly intended the charges should be of a general character. One thing that decided him in taking up the stand he did was the reference made to Judge Chapman's private character. The people of Otago as many in other parts of the Colony, would not be satisfied at the Government trying to take blame from any Judge's shoulders, be Judge of a district or of the Supreme Court. Judge Chapman would not, as Judge Ward, have an opportunity of travelling the length and breadth of the land, saving ho had made grave charges against another Judge, which the Government was afraid to investgate. — the second reading was agreed to without division."