OUR RESIDENT MAGISTRATE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1784, 8 March 1888, Page 2

OUR RESIDENT MAGISTRATE.

Since writing our article of yesterday we have learned that Mr Ollivier dis oharge3 the duty of Resident Magistrate here and at Lyttelton without pay merely charging bis travelling expenses, bo that it oannot ba for economical reasons that it is proposed to annex Aahburton to the T-maru district That the views we have expressed on the Bubject are generally Bytnpathiaed with ia evidenced by the fact that both the Bar and the Bench of Magistrates have forwarded remonatranoeß. The following letter signed by all the eo'leitora pnatielug m Ashburton was to day posted to the Minister : —

The Honorable The MJDinter of Justice, Wellington. oir, — We the nuderelgned Solicitors, praciiaiDg at the Reeldent Magistrate's Court at AehburtoD, dealre to bring under your notice the inoonvenlenoe that Is likely to be occasioned to editors and other peraons having business In that C->nrfc by the chaoge io the Magisterial arrangements which we understand is m contemplation. We are informed that it is proposed to remove Ms Ollivier, R.M. from the Ashbarton district and to devolve his duties upon the Resident Maglatrate at Tinwu. Wa m*y remind y v that a similar arrangement was tried aoma years ago and its woi king arooaed great ard juv pnblio jrritatiou. Owinsj to the tiniea of running of the tralna between T raaru and Ashbuctcn, the hours at the diapoeai of the Magistrate when Ub visited Aatiburton were very few, the result being that oases were often imperfectly heard and sometimes had to be aoj jurned for a week* or more m order to salt the convenience of the Resident Magistrate. It also not nnfrtquently happtned that thd Resident Magistrate found hie duties at the Tlma v end of the district of so pressing a nature that he failed to vUit Ashbnrton on the appointed Court day at all and suitors and tnelr witnesses, who had perhaps aoma from long distances, were obliged to ' return hi mo b<roinsa no Magistrate) was m attendance to hoar their caseß We veuture to thlok that Aahburton Is hardly being fairly treated m thia matter. A large population is served by the Ashbarton Court and the Qovernmoat derive a substantial revenoe from the fees and fines collected thero. Many oaas of considerable importance csme before the Resident Magistrate from time to time, and we think the district has jast claims for more frequent attendances of a Real, dent Magistrate than it gets at prceant— and certaloly no alteration ough 1 ; to bo made whfoh would be likely to result m diminished attendances. We desire to add that Mr Ollivier haß, up to the present timo, discharged hU duties as Resident Magistrate here to (as we believe) the entire satisfaction of the legal profession and of the public, (Here follow the signatures.)

The following letter elgneJ by a number of Jujtloea of th 9 Paacu waa also aant to Mr Fargua yesterday : — Ashburtou, flfrrch B.h 1888. The Hon the Minis er of Justice.

Sib, —Wo the undersigned Jaafioas of the Peace resident m the district of Ashburton having heard that. lt ia m contemplation shortly to maka a change m the •rrangementa with regard ro the Resident Magistrate's Court whereby the Aehburton Court will be added to those presid-d over by the Resident Magistrate at Timara, desire respectfully to brin^ under yoac notca that a Bimiiar arrangotnent was m foroe some tima ago, and waa found to work exeeudmgly unsatisfactorily Owing to The times at which trahia from the aoath arrive and leave, the hours available for Court business are considerably lea' 4 t^aa whea the district is worked from the north, and busineßa had ffequently to be hurried through or postpoued to the great disadvantage of suitors and ail crmctrned, while it alio frum time to time happened that owing to the preaa of busij neas m the Timaru Court the Magistrate was not able to coma to Ashbarton at all. Wo may perhaps be permitted to. add that prearn' arrangement are giving great publio satisfaction, .the manner ia which Mr Ollivier has hitherto discharged his duties metatng the entire approval, we believe of the pqbiio and the profession, and a? that gentleman is we understand an honorary officer , we are we hope not exceeding oar provinOJ m suggesting that the ohange pr poaol cannot ba in tha direction of greater economy. Respectfully «.Bkingtlut the matter may be reoonalderad and that if possible existing arrangements may not ba disturbed. Wo are etc, Alj\red Harumon, Mayor VV. J. Steward D f horn as Donald Williamson ixOBBBf ALCORN Hugo Fribdlandkr Thomas BcriitCos