"THE ROLLICKING RAMS."

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 537, 29 September 1871, Page 2

"THE ROLLICKING RAMS."

Ik tlio name of all well disposed and quiet citizens, we desire to return thanks to Messis. Kitchie and Beetham, the magist^tes sitting in the Police Court today. There cannoc be a doubt that it is the impunity obtained inthe cases of recent irregularities in the city that emboldened the four young men who appeared in the Police Court to-day to answer fcottts c'xirg* of a mild form of " Mohawking ;" and we trust that the firmness of the Bench will show that peaceahle citizens must be permitted to Jive peaceably, or at least tc have their nights undisturbed by roy storing revellers. It will be seen that the prisoners of to-day must have admired the distinction of being regarded as the real original " Rollicking Earns," and disputed the possession of the laurels witt their brethren of the same liberal profession. In declaring themselves to the police last night as the " Kollieking Earns," those young men, no doubt believed that the police would be awed, and would not dnre tr bring them to the lock-up ; and we arc glad to see that the police were not afraid of the consequences. There may be something, indeed, in the fact that th( young men are merely shopmen, and, sc far as we know, do not possess the enlrdc to the circles of our local haul ion. 'i'h-\ police may have felt that there was nc likelihood of superior influence being brought to bear on them, or of their being stultified by their mouths feeWfl stopped ; and, as a consequence, the pub* lie n'r.ger of scorn beine pointed at th«j execration of the law. JBut making all allowance for this, the police are to bi> eorntjiended for arresting, and not surj rending, the offenders till they placet] them face to face with the Benchl We may be excused for feeling that we Lave laboured with som< success to induce those charge<j with authority to uphold the majesty of the law. We claim the credit of ha via] broken up the gang of house-bnrners which some months ago attempted to bray society, and boasted of having "struck the city with "terror from end to end.; And though we do not for a moment coni pare ib.9 sotaowhafc reckless fun of yoan| me?.' with the doings of the <daugerot| Laid the kerosene store and tl| Music Rail in asheujstill v/hen we &>p -siflev .tbe results iiiv'.jnayßrise \ §\M persons, *iad especially timid kdm,..- "f it may b* ( Hfe flickering, when wtTOr is inspired by violence done at midaighi tc doora or ■windows, we cannot too sfcr^orijjl} EforaniffOji the actiou of Messrs. liitehu and FefethaiQ in the Police Co:tr: to-day We do trust that the penalf;;' will hay( tho effect c»f putting a stop, ooci find foi all time, to these midnight excesses although it must be conceded that th< contrast presented in this penalty to th< scandalous miscarriage of justice, now sc familiar to the public, does not tend tc remove uneasiness from the public mind.