A GOOD TEMPERED JUDGE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1205, 3 April 1885, Page 3

A GOOD TEMPERED JUDGE.

If Juclgi Powell, of the Northern 6ircnit, is to be taken as a fair type of his class, the English ju iges appear to be better tempered and more forbearing than are s.imeof the occupants of the judicial Bench in New Zealand. At a, sitting of the Skipton County Court held on January 15, too following scene occurred : -While the application in the case of David Pawson, of Bell Busk, was being heard, David Hepworth had quietly taken his place in the defendant’s box, and he suddenly startled the , Court by calling out; “ Your Honour, 1 have a question to ask yon. I want you to bo kind enough to grant mo a new trial about that h't.—(Laughter). I am not satisfied with the decision which you gave at. the last Court.”—His Honour : Well, ray friend, I am sorry to say that in almost every case that comes before me, one of the two parties are not satisfied—Hepworth : I want to ask you this question, “ Why a case of gambling, as you call it, can be beard in other County Courts, and cannot in this I’’—His Honour: Well, 1 suppose other County Courts are wiser than 1 am.—Hepworth : Well, there is a paper here which contains a case very similar to mine. It is this morning’s paper—His Honour; Well, that is a verv recent case. Ido hot mind seeing it—Hepworth: It just happened to drop into ray hands this morning, and I thought I had better take this opportunity. I always take that paper your Honour; it is the Manchester Examiner.—The paper was hmded up to his Honour, who, after reading the paragraph indicated, said : My good sir, this case has got no more to do with your hat than your hat has got to do with my gown,— Hepworth : Then I ask you to tell me on what grounds you refuse to hear my case. —His Honour : 1 stated my reasons at the time.—Hepworth • 1 have to pay for your time.—His Honour : Yon do nothing of the sort, -Hepworth : Well, Government pays you L2OOO a-year f r hearing us, and we find the “brass.”—His Honour ; You are very much mistaken. You don’t pay a penny —Hepworth ; If your Honour will bo kind enough to grant me my favour, I shall be very much obliged ; if not, I shall have to apply to a Superior Court, and (emphatically) I will. His Honour; Do, my friend, and say all that is bad about me that you can.—Hepworth : 1 will say this much about vou, that yon do not administer the law justly. List time you said that I was sworn, and 1 was not. —His Honour : Whit is your name ?—Hepworth : My name is Hepworth, sir.—His Honour , I am disposed to bo good tempered.—(lnterruption by Hepworth). Wait a bit— md to make allowances to persons .who think they are wronged, but I must have the Court treated with respect, and 1 won’t ha> e any further observations on the suhjtct. I have decided your case, and personally I am of opinion chat 1 have dec'ded it rightly. If you think otherwise it is quite competent for you do take any step you thi.ik fit, and 1 recommend you ,to do so, ’ hat with this observation, that before you do attempt to apply to a Superior Court you had better consider that you would he cqibarking in a course which would involve yon in a considerable amount of expense. Go on with the nest case