JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1117, 3 May 1911, Page 5

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

BRITISH LIBERAL COMPLAINTS. By Teleerapn-Press Association -Coprrleht London, May 1. In the House of Commons, Iho Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, referred to complaints by ' Liberal members regarding tho appointment of a preponderance of Unionist magistrates in certain localities. He stated that Lord Loreburn (Lord Chancellor) had written declaring that appointments belonged exclusively to his office, and had added that so long as ho remained Lord Chancellor he would cdhero to the views he had expressed before the Royal Commission. Mr. Asquith said ho considered that until the country had had a better opportunity of judging of the working of tho advisory committees, it would 1 bo premature to give a day to discuss the question.

POLITICS AND THE BENCH. The report of the British Royal Coinmission on ths appointment of Justices of tho Poaco was issued in July last. It recommended the appointments by the Lord Chancellor in counties and boroughs oi small advisory committees. Other recommendations were that Iho appointment of justices should continue to be made by tho Crown; that the Lord Chancellor should remain responsible for tho_ advice given to tho Crown; that political or religious opinions should not be recou* nised as anv ground of qualification or disqualification; that no recommendations for appointment should bo received from members of Parliament, candidate;, or political agents; and that workingmen should be appointed to the county as well as to the borough benches. 'J'lio Commissioners were of opinion that the evils existing in the anpoiuhnent of Justices could, to a great extent, be remedied by removing political opinions and political action from the influences affecting such selection. Speaking in the House of Lords at the time the Commission was appointed. Lord Loreburn said there woro about 22ft separate benches in boroughs alone that he had to fill. There was no one to advise or assist of any sort or description. Personal knowledge he could have none. The consequence .of this state of thing* was that men of tho highest qualities, who were not-immersed in politic?, and whose assistance as magistrates everyone would desire, were constantly overlooked —a circumstance' of no small importance iu this connection, lu addition to tho boroughs, there were 8"i counties. The Lord Lieutenant was by custom associated with the Lord Chancellor in regard to each county. It might not be credited, but he believed the Lords Lieutenant with hardly an exception were as anxious as ho was to prevent purelv partisan appointments to tho bench. When he came into office ho found that in some counties the bench was almost entirely Conservative. Ho did not himself believe that the Lords Lieutenant intended any such result) but they naturally acted on the advice oi other's, and those who advised thorn ivcro nearly all on one side of politics and of one "class. It was natural.of tl'o*" who advised thorn to prefer persons of their own party and class. They had no responsibility. He did not believe there was any design to exclude one party, but tho result was as he had described, and thus aro:3 a very real ground o£ dissatisfaction. In tho three years 190G-8 nearly GOOO magistrates wero appointed, and he reckoned that about 20,000 applications were considered.

Continuing, tho Lord Chancellor Sjald: I ought to stiy now that although the mass of the work is full of difficulty, the greatest embarrassment of nil is that thu work has to lie carried on in an atmosphere of unceasing political jealousy, not without an admixture of sectarianism. The position of justice of the peace is an object of ambition naturally, iuo crown of an honourable career; but, unfortunately, for many years past both parties in the States—and there is no distinction between them—havo gradually come to regard the nesition us 0.0 winch ought to be obtained by political interests and connections. T-iiis is the gravest, the most insidious, and the most widespread of the dangers which beset this subject. The chief thine to be done in my numble opinion is this—to extirpate the tradition that nartv interest is the avenue to this distinction. It has grown up during a considerable number of years, and what we want to do is to get rid of it. If we do not succeed, and it the principle of which I have spoken is allowed to prevail, it will be the same as it is in the law of commerce, under iv i ,?? ? oiu drivcs 0!lt tho sterling. \\ e shall find that the beeches will necessarily be degraded.