JUDGE RICHMOND’S CHARGE.

Evening Star, Issue 3460, 25 March 1874, Page 3

JUDGE RICHMOND’S CHARGE.

The following ghargo was delivered by Judge Richmond at Hokitika last week ? be allowed to congratulate you upon the concession to the district of a Provincial Constitution. Practically, there may not be difference between the power of local self-government which you recently enjoyed and which belong tq you uqder the order p'f 'Rinas'. Thq powers and funptigns pi yopp County Chairman were pretty nearly those. of a Superintendent Bfit words and names go for a good deal in this wqrld ; !<nd I pan welf understand that the political weight of the district will be inpressed by the change, At the least the alteration may bp. taken to indicate the opinion of those who should he best able to judge of the matter that the settlement of the Coast is now established on a permanent basis, and had now property aud not m«re nomads unfit to bp charged with, begause uninterested in, the permanent welfare of the district. In a social point of view, the permanence of these s ttlements is a subj ct of unmixed rejoicing. It is a sorry scheme of life under which men pass their best years in a place to which they are bound by no social tie, and in which they are charged with no political obligation. M.y own connection with this district has now existed seven years,, and I am addressing many whose residence here must have extended close upon ten years. Such periods as these are substantial parts of a man’s active life. Our powers of work and enjoyment rarely extend with anything Hk« vigor beyond four Spqh periods,‘but ft is a common thing to see men devoting the whole of this time to a mere provisional existence, selfishly absorbed in the effort to accumulate wealth for future enjoyment at a period when perhaps the power of enjoyment will be past, and negl- cting in the meantime to take up the enjoyments and the duties of social life; remaining without interest in their ( lace of abode, or in the welfare of the people m "whose mi<bt they are spending their best nays. 1 be creation of the Province of Westland should mark thp termination amongst us of fipch a provisional state’of life,” and calls upon $ 11 the inhabitants of this district to take upon themselves thp fuff and complete obligations of citizens of Now ZealandIn the important matter of conduct in par- , fcicular, yep w|H no dpuht he. looked tq not to fall below the geperal standard of the Colonv L'ho province which shall allow its larrikins to develop into full-fledged criminals, will '■e justly blamed as having neglected those means of prevention and reformation which ;lio within the power of the legislators. .The calendars will be looked to as affording ;aome test of the extent to which the several ..Provinces fulfil their duties ip this respect.

I'inake these remarks not at all in the way of reflection on the past, but of buggestion for the future. Indeed, lam not aware that the criminal records of any part of the Colony show our colonial youth to be addicted to crime. Our calendars are in great part filled with the names of old offenders - men who did not get their lessons in crime in this part of the w<>rid. The coming years may be expected to exhibit more clearly the effect of Colonial training in this respect, and there is great reason to hope that the result will afforn a satisfactory comparison with the state of older countries.