CURRENT TOPICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1776, 25 February 1888, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS.

It is not often, happily, that our unpaid Magistracy — tfie noble army of J.P's — are guilty of conduct calculated to bring the administration of justice into contempt; but m a country such as this, where there is such a vast number of scattered communities, and where necessarily a great many Justices of the Peace are required, it must happen that here and there persons arc raised to the Bench who not only possess no qualifications for the office, but on the contrary are by faults of temperament or lack of the requisite education wholly unfitted therefor. The Government is consequently not fairly blameable, because now and then it becomes evident that unsuitable appointments have been made, the more especially that some of these appointments are practically made by the people direct, owing to the operation of that clause of the Municipal Corporations Act the effect of which is to secure that every Mayor (unless disqualified) shall be a Justice of the Peace for the term of his office. But m view of the disgraceful scene which occurred a week ago m the Gore Police Court, it would be well for the burgesses when electing the Presiding Municipal Officer to bear m mind that they are at the same time practically electing a Justice of the Peace, and to take care not to place m that position anyone who is likely to prove unfit to discharge the duties which attach thereto. The burgesses of Gore have evidently made a mistake m this direction for the unseemly conduct of the "worshipful" the Mayor of that un-pleasantly-named locality cannot be too severely reprehended. The spectacle of a squabble on the Bench as to the Chairmanship, of the Mayor giving, one sentence and his brother Justices another, and descending to a struggle for the possession of the Court-book m order to enter up the judgment is not only discreditable but altogether iutolerable. It is to be hoped that the matter will not escape the notice of the Minister for Justice, but that he will bear the occurrence ia mind during the purging of the Justice roll which is now understood to be going on.

At no time that we recollect during the last forty years, has there been throughout the Old World so wide-spread unrest — so universal military activity. Not only are Russia, France, Germany, Austria and Italy armed to the teeth, and England also on the gui vive for possible eventualities, but even China is alleged to be waiting her opportunity to join m the apparently impending straggle, with the hope of wresting back from Russia the province of Mantchuria. So that should war eventuate it looks very much as if its flames would reach over great part of Europe and a part of Asia also. But will there be war, or will the trouble blow over ? The event only can show, but we confess we cannot understand the declaration of Lord Salisbury that the prospect of the continuance of peace is more hopeful than at any time during the past year. Tho sending by Russia of no less than 27 trains loaded with troops into Bessarabia m a single day, and the announcement m to-day's telegrams that her forces on the Austrian frontier, large as they now are, are to be still further augmented by no less than 100,000 men looks anything but like anticipated peace, and her paltry pretexts for all this offensive display of force strengthen the suspicion that she only means to make an excuse for an attack so soon as she is ready. All that nonsense about Prince Ferdinand's occupancy of the throne of Bulgaria being " a menace to the peace of Europe " is — just nonsense and nothing better. Such a declaration on the part of Russia resembles the conduct of a man who after piling combustibles all round his neighbor's house, walks about among them flourishing a flaming brand, all the while grumbling at his neighbor for incurring the risk of a fire by burning a farthing rushlight on his kitchen table.

We have no desire to incur the just rebuke which fell upon the vainglorious Pharisee who " thanked God he was not as this publican," by vaunting tho superiority of the New Zealand Legislature m point of the decorum of its proceedings over the legislatures of other colonies; but at least we may bo thankful that so far at anyrate the Parliament of this colony has always been free from such disgraceful episodes as Beem to be of constant occurrence m New South Wales. When members of Parliament so far forget the behavior which should be the uniform characteristic of an Assembly supposed to be composed of gentlemen as to indulge m tho lie direct, profane oaths, even m fisticuffs, and, a last resort, m the use of bottles as apous of offence it is time to cry Shame 1 " on such proceedings, and *o ask what onr neighbors can be earning of to permit such a state of ings. How can they p-event it? asily enough. Let them set a mark upon every ruffian who thus misconducts ' himself, and steadily vote against all such the first time they have the opportunity. Never mind what ability any of them may possess, if they can't conduct themselves decently they have no business to be legislators, and unless the whole colony of New South Wales wishes to lower itself m the eyes of the world her people will lose no time m purging tbeir Parliamentary Halls of the presence of such blackguardly elements.

It would seem from the record of the Dunedin race-meeting juat concluded as if the efforts of our breeders of racehorses had been eminently successful, at least m one direction, that, of obtaining increased fleetnesß. Itunning over some of the principal events, we note that the Cup (2 miles and a distance) was run m the fastest time ever chronicled for that event. In 1874, Lurline's time was 4min 3secs, and Templeton's, m the following year, 4min lO^sec. In 1885 Vanguard brought down the record to 3min 53sec, being the best made until this year ; Spade Guinea's, m 1887, being 3min 54j8ec, while at the meeting of, 1888, Gipsy King, figures stand at 3min 51sec. Again m tho D.J.C. Handicap, a mile and three quarters, Mr Stead's splendid colt came near to a fastest on record, his performance having only been beaten m the race of 1878-9 when Fishhook came home m 2min 12^sec. Gipsy King'B time this year was 41sec, while that of St. Clair last year was 2min 43^sec, tbat of Lurline m 1873-4, 3min 20sec and that of Guy Fawkes m 187 6-7, 3min 23isec. The Champagne Stakes was also run m fast time, Carbine's

record being lniin 19 sec. This was beaten by a second m IKS 2 and 1883 when Nonsense and Omleis, respectively, came home m lmin lSscc ; the record of Atlantic for LS7B being the highest, viz., lmin 24^seo, and that of Everton Lad, Artillery, and Gipsy King m 1885, 1886, and 1887 respectively, lmin 20secs.