The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, 21st DECEMBER, 1866.

Dunstan Times, Issue 243, 21 December 1866, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, 21st DECEMBER, 1866.

Beneath the rule of men sjctibely just, th< i>EM is miqhtibr than the sword!"

The establishment of a District Court at Clyde has again been brought prominently forward—the public-meeting held on Wednesday evening last, backed as it is, by a numerously signed memorial, will doubtless do much towards securing the desired object. It is now some three years since District Courts were promised to the Gold fields, but nothing whatever has been done in the matter, notwithstanding that the want of such a court has been daily felt more and more. The permanence of the Goldfields of this Province is now fully establishedlarge and va'uable interests have been created, and it is evident, that as time wears on, they will become still more valuable. 'I he one-hundred-pounds' jurisdiction of the Resident-Magistrate's Court, held only once in every two month's, is well nigh an absolute deuial of justice, for reasons that the sitting only dea's with matters of account, civil and criminal actions where points of law are concerned, having to be taken to Dunedin. This process involves an enormous loss of time and money both to the country as well as individuals; which, were District Courts established, might be saved, leaving alone the cases which would be adjudicated upon, but which, under present arrangements, are allowed to lapse—people preferring rather to Buffer injury than obtain legal redress, and so augment the evil. Ihe central position occupied by the Township of (lydo is beyond dispute—there is scarcely a Goldfie d distant more than a days ride; therefore, it would be considerably less expensive for suiters to seek it, than go to Dunedin, while at the same time there would be less delay, as the cases would be comparatively few in proportion to what would be the. case at an over-crowded court held in Dunedin. The character of the points in dispute would be better understood by local juries, and there would be a greater chance of justice being done to litigants. A District Court would have jurisdiction in cases where the penalties imposed amount to fine or imprisonment, or both, and would extend as far as seven years transportation or four years imprisonment with hard labour. The Court would be therefore able to deal with all cases that have as yet been taken down to Dunedin, and we may pretty safely infer that offences which would require a more severe sentence would occur only at very remote periods. We, therefore, think with the memorialists that as Clyde posesses the advantages of being the most central town on the goldfields it is the proper place for the holding of a Listrict Court