At the hearing of the criminal libel case in Wellington, in which A. J. Hoskins was charged with publishing a scandalous and malicious libel against Sir J. Vogel in connection with the purchase of the district railway-debentures, Mr Travers, who prosecuted, said the libel com plained of by Sir Julius Vogel was contained in the imputation that he was coupled with Mr Steward in receiving commission for the sale of the debentures to the Government. In the com mencement of the article Mr Steward is charged with using his position to get the District Railways Purchasing Act passed in order to secure the commission on the subsequent sale of certain debentures by him to the Govern ment. Then it proceeded to connect Sir Julius Vogel's name with Mr Steward as being of elastic conscience and ready to take advan tage as members of Parliament of any com mission offering; as being guilty of "gross bribery and corruption "; and further, that the sentence "needy adventurers of the Vogel type" implied that Sir J. Vogel was a needy adventurer, ready to jump at opportunities of the kind referred to. Mr Travers then included the cartoon issued with the copy of the paper in question as proof by innuendo of the con nection of Sir Julius Vogel with Mr Steward in the article already mentioned. Mr Wardell having stated that the article implied " gross jobbery and corruption," but did not suggest participation by Sir Julius Vogel in the com mission received by Mr Steward, Mr Travers asked that the information be amended to in clude gross jobbery and corruption only, and this having been granted, accused was committed for trial.
