The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 458, 10 December 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10.

By the report of the proceedings of the R.M. Court which appears elsewhere it will be seen that the Resident Magistrate took the opportunity, from his place on the Bench, to correct a misunderstanding which had arisen as' to the procedure adopted in the case of Chailotte Wright. His Worship stated that the information proceeded upon had been the first one laid, and not the second, as assum n d by us in the remarks which we felt called upon to make in our last issue. Our premises being wrong, our criticism falls to the ground, so far as the Akaroa Bench is concerned. The broad fact remains, however, that what we hold to-be a very dangerous doctrine was broached by counsel. If the Bench were wrongfully supposed to acquiesce in it, they can only blame their own want of distinctness in deciding a most important point. That we were not alone in our supposition is shown by the fact that Mr G. W. Naldcr and the Times' reporter misunderstood the ruling of the Bench equally with ourselves. This is shown to be the case by Mr G. W. Nalder's letter and by the report of the proceedings which appeared iv the Lyttelton Times of the 9th inst.

Having been informed as to tho true state of the case, we therefore unconditionally withdraw any comments we have made on the case, so far as they affect the Akaroa Bench. Tho general doctrine laid down we unhesitatingly adhere to. We have been accused of interfering in a case which is sub judice, and of attacking those who are precluded from defending themselves. The first of these accusations we meet with a most unqualified denial. As to the probabilities of the case, as to the guilt or innocence, or degree of guilt, of the accused person, we had not a word to say. We simply took exception to what we considered were dangerous informalities in the preliminary proceedings. As to the second charge, we demur to it as absurd. If it means anything, it means that, from the Governor down to the

message-boy, every one in receipt of Government pay, and who is thereby precluded from ink-slinging, is to be free to indulgs in any vagaries he may choose, and a long-suffering public is to stand on one side and refrain from any comments whatever on his conduct. For be it remembered the Press is only the mouth-piece of society at large. It only exists by virtue of its being the very breath of public opinion. The opinion, therefore, that servants of the public are not to be called to account by that same public for the manner in which they discharge their duties is so absurd that it needs only to be stated to carry its own refutation on its face.