NELSON.

Evening Post, Issue 95, 30 May 1865, Page 2

NELSON.

A jury engaged in hearing some of the cases during the late session of the Supreme Court at Nelson, seem rather to have scandalised Mr. Justice Johnston, by expecting to be pni.l for their trouble. The Examiner has the following report : — Mr. Wastney, a juror, said, before we leave the jury box we wish, your Honour, to state that we think that petit juroi 8 ought to bp paid for their .attendance. A large portion of the eases now tried did not belong to this province, and we wish to express the opinion of the jurors that such a state of things causes great loss of time to poor men of this province unnecessarily. There are many poor working men here to whom so long an attendance without pay is a serious matter. The Judge : This is an unusual course. I will, however, note your remarks. If you ask my opinion, I will say that, as jurors, you are boun<i to do your duty, and that without a question as to province. To sit as jurors, even the labourers whom you have mentioned should nob grudge their attendance. At Dunedin, some petit jurors were detained for six weeks, and they never made such a representation a3 you have. The law, however was altered in consequence of their so long detention, and now jurors are not obliged to serve for more than six days. Your representation as to the necessity for payment of jurors shall be forwarded to the AttorneyGeneral, yet 1 must tell you that people who value their privileges as British jurors should act accordingly. To offer remuner-

ation to a juror for his especial services as, a part of his country's jurisprudence woulcl, I should think, be an insult. The labourer here is paid twice as much as he is in many other parts of the colonies, yet his privileges are equal with the highest among us. It would surely much let the jury down by paying them ; it might be wise to make provision for the expense incurred by the juror'sj uror's travelling, yet every juryman in England has to attend the assizes without pay, and I never heard a suggestion made that they should be paid. Your representation is entirely irregular, because such should be made through your parliamentary representatives. I will, however, direct the Registrar to inform the At' torney-General of what you have mentioned.