Alleged Slander

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 179, 30 August 1929, Page 7

Alleged Slander

Per Press Association.

EXCITEMENT IN HOUSE Minister And Member At | Loggerheads j REMARKS OBJECTED TO

j WELLINGTON, Tlns day. The House of Representatives met at 10.30 o'clock this morning. Alr A. AI. Samuel inimcdiately statecl that he wislied to move a hreach of privilege. He asserted that he had been slandered hy the Hon. H. Atmore. who had statecl in the lohby after tlie ^itting oi the House last niglit, anl in response to a jocular remark, that he would "tell people something about me in Egypt."Tln's, Alr Samuel eontended, was a direct reflection 011 his military career and could not be taken as otherwise. His medical and military history wcre open for the world to see. He maintained that if members were to he o]ien to insinuaiion and slander in the lobbies of tlie House, Parliament would soou bccome a place unfit to live in. He had n«t only Jiimself to . consider. He was a married man witli a family and for that reason he would not permit a reflection 011 his cliaracter to stand. mr atmore surprised. Alr A. Al. Samuel addcd that had the statement been made outside of the House he would have hacl an opportunity of dealing with it in a diilerent manncr. He moved that a broach of privilege had been committed. The Hon. IT. Atmore stated he.had been ratlier .surprised, and eonsiderably amused, tliat Alr Samuel, who, in his speech last night had dared 1 1 aecuse him (Alr Atmore) of Jiterary piraey, should have brought up sucli a ])oint. Referring to the ineident, Alr Atmore said that Alr Samuel had been standing in the lohby with Alr Coates and he (Alr Atmore; had said, as he passed, "Hullo, Samuel. ' the latter replving, "Don't he too liard on me when you replv." The Alinister said that he remarked, "1 shall tell you something ahout Egypt." in a chaffing sense Why, he asked should Alr Samuel consicler he had been slandered, 1 simply conneeted tbe name of _ Alr Samuel with Egypt and I said it in a ohaffing seiise.'' Alr Samuel: Jt was not in a chaffing sense at all. Alr Atmore stated that if Alr Samuel could not take a chaffing retort he should not place himself in the position to get oue. , , Tlie Alinister added that he had nothing t* withdraw. He was preparecl to repeat the remark, chaffingly. 11 he knows something tlmt liappened there that lie is not proud of I don t, Alr Atmore said. ,, "Alore insinuation, Alr bpealver, inf erjected Alr Samuel. , , ,, . Alr H. E. Ilolland suggested that the Speaker «hould give the House an indication whether he considered a breacli had heen committed. matter for the house. Alr Speaker: The Speaker does not decide whether a _ hreaeh has heen committed. fIhat is for tlie Hou^e to decide. There are three courses open to the House : — (1) To vote 011 the subject ; (2) to refer it to a committee of pvxvileges ; (3) to adjourn the debate to give the members an op]>ortunitv to talk tbe position over. He added tliat the Speaker hacl no jurisdiction over what took place in a Sir Joseph Ward suggested that Mr Samuel liaving heard the explanation of the 'Alinister of Education, should drop the subject. Alr Samuel : ETe has aggravated it. Sir Joseph AYard stated that Alr Atmore lifld given 111 nssur&noc tlicit 11c had not meant anything sinister. lt ap-peare-d tliat Mr Samitel y* as maKing a mountain out of a mole liill. what more was wanted? Alr Samuel: It is a personal matter. I Bee everv reason for jmrsuing it. Alr Howard: Let tlio Alinister -withdraw any imputation. . Sir Joseph Ward: The Alinister of Education has said that he spoke in a jocular' sense. ANhat moro can jcm want:j . Alr P. Frasor said tliat he considered ihe matter of privilege should not be brought up lightly. Alost members had at somo time or otlier used worcls m the lieat of the mnineut tliat they had repented aftorwurds, and so far a.s that was eoncerned he was not inelincd to falce a serious viow. hut on tlie other hnnd onee the matter of hreaeh of privilege had been brought, before tlie House it sliould he treatod seriously. departed from jocularity. "Alr Atmore had departed from jocular nianner this morning," Alr Frasc-r continned, "nnd had seemed to put something furtlier and more sinister into the words " He suggested tliat the debate shouid lie ad.iounied to enable the parties eoncerned to adjust matters and remove misunderstancliiig, and tlien inform tlie House. Alr U. G. R. Alason moved the adjourimiont. of tlie debate. Alr D. Jones suggested that the matter had been aggravated by Alr Atmore's attitude tliis inorning. He suggested that, tlie Alinister should retraet tlie wliole position and express regrefc for any insinuations that niiglit liave been taken from his remarks. Hnitecl voiees : No ! No ! "unfortun ate," says fiflr coates. Alr J. G. Coates stated that he was present when the remark was made in the lohby, and whether mcaning hau heen sinistc or not. it was an unfortunate remark. All Alr Samuel wanied was a clear statement that there was no sinister meaning. Alr Coates suggested that Alr Atmore should state Hifc as far as he knew (and all tlie members knew it was so") Alr Samuel s l'oeord in Egypt, was one of which he night, he proud. talk of a letter. Mr F. Waite stated that he hacl been sliown a letter to AL' Samuel which the member for Thames might have felt hacl heen conneeted with the remark 011 the subject of Egypt. He did. not fiuggest tliat Afr Atnicu-e was conneeted with the letter. Alr TI. E. TTolland said that he thought tliat if the motion to ndjourn the debate was earried, the Alinister Wmil'd agree to withdraw any imputation that might he thought to have been oontained in his words. After fnrther debate Alr Samuel said thnt he would have heen satisfied with Afr Atmnre's statement that the remark had been a jocular oi\e, but

tlie Alinister had then gone further and aggravated the position. handed his name in. He observed that Alr Atmore was backed by the L'nited back benches, some of Avhom, like Afr Atmore himself, had not -gone to the war. Alr Atmore stated that if the debate were adjourned for six montbs he could not clonmore tlian he had done this morning. He added that Air Samuel had used the pose of the injured mnoeent to enable himself to 'make a reflection on him (Alr Atmore) in regavd to the war. The Alinister remarked that an investigation would show that his name had heen sent 111 111 1915. Tiie debate was then adjourned.