ANNUAL MEETING OF JUSTICES.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 325, 24 January 1871, Page 2

ANNUAL MEETING OF JUSTICES.

The annual meeting of magistrates was held to-day in the Police Court, at 12 o'clock, for the purpose of appointing a Chairman of Petty Sessions, and fixing the Rota of Attendance at the Police Court for the ensuing year. There were-present: J. O'Neill, A. B. Taylor, It. F. Porter, J. H. Home, H. Morrow, W. C. D\ildy, 31. D. Morpcth, F. Tole, a. B. Owen, E. xsuacs, and J. M. Dargaville, Esqrs. J. o'Nei.U, Esq., occupied the chair, and opening the proceedings stated that during the nine uionihs in "which he had occupied the position of Chairman of Petty Sessions, tbat is to say on the nine a.'iyß °f meeting, there had been 151 cases dccidea,- and that the lines and fees of Court hrd bo eti £68 5s 6d, being amply sufficient to cover all expenses. He also drew attention to the fact that the local magistrates had conducted all the business in the Police Court of Auckland, while in many villages and country districts the Government had paid magistrates to do an incompatibly smaller amount of work.—lt was proposed by Mr. Owen, and seconded by Captain Daldy, and unanimously resolved, that J. O'Neill, Esq., be re-elected Chairman — Dr. Home moved that the alphabetical rota used for the previous year should be colltinued. Captain Daldy, in seconding the motion, pointed to the possible evil of two young and inexperienced magistrates being alone on the Bench together, and urged that t,uch magistrates should make themselves acquainted with the practise of the Court by more frequent attendance.—Mr. May drew attention to the propriety^ including in the rota magistrates who had come from other districts to reside in the neighbourhood of Auckland.—The resolution was carried.—Mr. Cunningham was re-elected clerk at the same salary, on the mot:on of Mr. Morpeth seconded by Mr. Tole.—Mr. O'Neill thanked the magistrates for their attendance, and their expression of confidence in re-electing him their Chairman, and the meeting dissolved.