Judge Richmond on Life on the Goldfields.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 1, 3 November 1869, Page 1

Judge Richmond on Life on the Goldfields.

I Lis' Honor Judge Richmond, in his j charge to the' Grand Jury at Hokitika, j touched on life on the goldfields in jjie fol- I lowing manner :—"There are three- eases ' on the calendar of attempts at suicide—a \ misdciifeariour; ' I regret to seo so many j charges, and hope it may not be going to ] b'-eoine, as is possible, a fashion in the place. ■ You must feel—we must all feel—that in the hurry-scurry life upon a goldfiehl there j is an extra amount of >veai and tear, and j there is a sad want of relief in the shape of social enjoyment. There are always too mauy opportunities for the gratification of J the lower appetites, but the deficiency is in the opportunities for th? gratification of. the higher taste's and L-clings. Many of you must feel this—must feel that life is slipping through your lingers before you j begin to live. We hive here a sort of | camp life, and cannot expert to find those • provision.-;, noble public buildings, libraries, j museums, parks, and other appliances for j innocent recreation, which are to be found j at the great centres of civilization. I am not, while saying this, unmindful of what , has been done in this direction. I see that ! efforts have been, and are being, made by you—efforts which, under the circum- j stances, are highly p'raiseworthy, But I put it to you, as leading citizens, could you I not redouble your efforts in that direction? ! I piit it to you that, if we do not enjoy j our lives now, we shall find that we arc unable to do so when we would. When ! we have made our ' pile,' we shall be past enjoying it. and it. would be well for us if we thought a little less of making a ' pile' —a little more of using it. I repeat that, in saying this. I am not blind to the efforts •which have been and are being made ; but j these cases may indicate the necessity of increased action, and that action I would urge upon you. Take the case of a woman, for instance—a woman whose life is ! passed behind a bar, handing tumblers of j grog to half-drunken men. What true enI joyment of 1 ife can she have 1 What a life I Iters must be, and is it not almost a sign :of her sanity that she tries to cud irJ 1 i j do not now speak of that class of u'ufortuJ nates who minister to the lowest appetites. ! ! These, in all countries, we must expect to ; find, from time to time, .seeking in suicide ! a termination of their nmntal and physical, i misery and degradation ; but 1 refer to a large number of other women, who are condemned by circumstances to, a life of . unremitting toil, bringing them into coni stant contact with the lowest side of humau nature. And it may be that opening these, I fiources of rational enjoyment would sue j a few from these rash attempts."