The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1889. THE DISTRICT COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2287, 26 November 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1889. THE DISTRICT COURT.

No matter what admiuist! ation be m power the Government Beems determined that no further facilities shall be afforded to tho public of this town and county for tho transaction of business m the District Court. As our readers are aware representations have been made over and over again by the local bar and by our business men of the inconvenience caused by the present infre quency of the sittings, and the matter has also several times been brought under the notice of the heads of the department by the members for the Nay more, the Judge himself has been appealed to, and has, it is understood, endorsed the wishes of the movers m the matter, and, moreover, indicated that they could be given effect to without involving any additional expense worth mentioning. But so far all this has been of none effect. We now learn that shortly after the recent transference of portfolios, an impression prevailed that the new Minister for Justice would naturally overhaul the J details of his department, and might ! very probably contemplate making Borne changes, and m order that no time might be lost Major Steward, as the only M.H.R resident m town, and who lost session interviewed the then Minister with the local members on tho subject, was requested to bring the subject under 1 the notice of Captain Russell. The following correspondence was the result: — '" The Hon the Minister for Justice. : " Sir,— As it oocnrs to me that it is probable you, upon assuming tho ad--1 ministration of the Department of Jus tice, will make enquiry into existing arrangements with a view to such alterations as may be desirable m the public interest, I venture to call your attention to tho fact that some time ago (indeed, I think on more occasions than one), . representations have been made as to ' the desirablen bs of arranging t for moro i frequent sittings of tho District Court at ; Ashburton. " One of these took the form of a memorial from the Bar, m which the inconvenience caused by the present infrequency of the sittings was very fully i explained, and I think also there was a I similar memorial signed by business 1 people. ' "As these documents are, no doubt, readily open to your reference, 1 do not . deem it necessary to recapitulate the d reasons urged for a change m the J direction asked ; but may add that it is " understood that Mr District Judge " Ward, upon being referred to by the . 1 department m the matter, endorsed tho . wishes of the memorialists and intimated , that there would bo no difficulty m giving ! effect thereto. " I therefore venture to hope that you [ will look into the question and be able ; to make arrangements such as will meet : the wishes of the profession and the public. — I have, etc., 1 " Wm. J. Steward •' Ashbarton, Nov. 10, 1889."

" W. J. Steward, Esq., M.H.R., "Ashburton. • " Sib,— l have the honor to acknow- , I^dge receipt of your letter of the number and date quoted m the margin, asking that more frequent sittings of the j District Court may be held m Ashburton. "I have looked into the matter and find that the business transacted m this Court is very Btnall, and I am not aware of any reason to suppose that it would increase if the sittings be held at shorter intervals After full consider tion of your letter, and of the memorial alluded to therein, it seems to me that the facilities now given for the transaction of the work of tbe District Court at Ashbarton are quite equal to the requirements of the district ; and I regret therefore that I am unable to comply with your request.— l have, etc., . "V. R. RjJBSELfc. • { Department of Justice, " Wellington, Nov. 13, 1889." There is, therefore, evidently nothing further to be done for tbe present m this maitep, and though the business men and tbo local Ear dissent from Captain Busgell's opinion, there ia nothing for it apparently but to put up j with the inconvenience of which they have complained with such philosophic submission *° inevitable as they are able to bring to bear.