TEE WARD-CHRISTIE AFFAIR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2226, 14 September 1889, Page 2

TEE WARD-CHRISTIE AFFAIR

AUSTRALIA JN OPINION.

The Melbourne " Evening ttindard " B»ys :—-" Attention iB direoted from time 10 time, m the Puhl-c Press, to the imbroglio between the Ministry m Naw Zealand and Judge Ward. It haß nil arisen from the Judge having ordered the imprisonment of a Bomewhat popular debtor for fraudulent, insolvency. For that he was at once called to order by the Government, and it came out th»t tho Judge wti9 indebted m a certain aum to the Company which was creditor m the case, the debt boing covered by a mortgage of valuablo real propeity. But very little on the other band, has been made of tho fact— on tbia ertdu of tbe watar, at leant— that the Minister of thp Crown who called the Judge to order is (he solicitor of the i-npriaonod bankrupt Indeed, m the New Zealand oorroi-pondenoo on the subject this faofc has been studlonoly but vary unI fairly kept tn the baolcgcound, although New Zealand from end to nnd baa be«n rinsing with the eeand.al, It baa boon the subject of keen and fieroe discussion m tho Houao of Repreeantatlvee m that Colony, and but for the f«ot thnfc n vote on It involved the fute of tbe Ministry— a contingency whloh t,t thin particular t!mr f polltfoal partlen In the Aaaembly do not do«ire — the scandalous attempt to overawe the Jadge would have been signally punlahod. A jaater and more hoooiablo Judge than Mr Ward, or a m»n of more sterling honor. It is .commonly considered has never. 00- --, copied a ooat on the Bench ia that colony ; aod though, perhaps, it may be Improper for a Judge to owe money 10 any man, even If aooured m the oc'iaary way, It la not an atom m enormity ootnptred to the oondoot of a Ministry that sought to onoroe and bully a Judge because one of Its prlnoipal Mlolnto'ra lo the solioitor emnloyed by the prlaonor nunt to jjnol by the Judge In Inselvenoy. It uhonld be added rhst Judge Ward has turned on his torraontoru, and m giving the Government purtlonJac fits, he has bad tho henrty sympathy of tans of thousands of the best Of the people."