The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 349, 21 November 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21.

In common with all well-wishers to the community in which •Wβ live, we are always disposed to assist the police in the discharge of their highly necessary and often disagreeable duties. At the same time it must be remembered that it is possible even for the police "to allow their zeal to outrun their discretion, and to appear in the light of persecutors instead of protectors. We are led into these remarks by the report of a case which was heard at the Akaroa E.M. Court on Tuesday last. It appears that a meeting of a committee for getting up races and sports was held at Brooks' Hotel on a certain evening lately. ' At this meeting Constable M'Gorman was present in his non-official capacity. The meeting over, the question arose as to remunerating the landlord for the use of the room, and finally it was agreed to put down the familiar " bob and the winner shout." This was arranged in presence of the constable, who thereupon ieft the room. It appears, however, that he did not go so far away but that he could hear the dice being thrown. He returns in the nick of time, and forthwith lays an information. The result was a conviction and a fine of 40s.

Now, we contend that the various laws and regulations under which we live were never made to be used as instruments of annoyance, which they infallibly would become if little lapses were rigidly dealt with. The law very lightly prohibits gambling in a licensed house, hut the act in question, though no doubt coming technically within the letter of the law, certainly did not amount to gambling as popularly understood, and the most rigid moralist would not class it under that head.

Further, we maintain that the proper function of the police is the prevention of crinie where possible, and only failing this possibility do they fulfil their duty by securing its punishment. Now, if the constable had really desired to Drevent this heinous offence, lie could most easily have clone so by protesting against it firmly when proposed, instead of walking away just far enough to lead to the belief that he did not wish to see it, and remaining just near eno.ugh to be, able to pop in in time to secure sufficient evidence for a conviction. We remember quite a parallel case which occurred on a similar occasion at the same place, but where the conduct of the police officer was just the reverse. It was at the close of a race meeting. Two men, each probably with a few inches of whisky in him, wanted to fight ; some twenty more were ready to aid and abet. The sergeant of police then in charge of the district rushed into the crowd, peremptorily ordered them to stop, and threatened, if they did not at once put a stop to their proceedings that he would summons them all round. The consequence was that a breach of the peace was prevented. If, however, the sergeant, had chosen to slink away, leaving the fight ;to go on, and had then dropped on them in the nick of time, he might have had the glory of scoring perhaps half a score convictions. Which course is most conduche to the preservation of public morality, we leave the public to judge.

We understand that tha late Auckland " converts " have been getting rather uneasy and dissatisfied at the fulfilment of the terms of the compact which induced them to forswear the errors of Opposition being apparently indefinitely postponed. Apparently to allay this not unnatural dissatisfaction, Mr Whitaker proposed on Wednesday coollj' to place £200,000 on the Estimates, to be handed over to Auckland for roads and bridges. This, we presume, was to be the first instalment of the consideration in the " compact " so often alluded to in a late debate. But alas, the House was in a cruel humor, and positively declined even to discuss the question, ruthlessly postponing it for a fortnight. So it is possible, if " Wullie " iSwanson keeps his word, that this mysterious treaty, concerning which so much curiosity was exhibited in the House, may yet be " nailed to the Speaker's chair." Poor confiding Auckland infants ! It would almost seem as if the wily men of the South had been too many for you. It is enough to shake your confidence in the existence of human virtue if you should find that you have been bought at one period of the session only to be " sold again" at

another,