CONTEMPORARY OPINION.

Evening Star, Issue 3793, 21 April 1875, Page 2

CONTEMPORARY OPINION.

KABOiBET OOLLEfg’s man’,

The * Daily Times ’ has, we regret to say seised upon the sentenee allowed to Margaret Collins to find fault with the new Chief Jus tioe in a manner as ungenerous as it was unbecoming. Mr Prendergast needs no support from us, therefore we will net write anythinto pomt out what must be a patent fact to alb namely, that In the ease of Margaret Collins the sentence could not, considering the verdict be impugned of itself. However much w# may lorm our ewa opinion on the evidence, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the jury in the ease returned a verdict that was the next, thing to an acquittal They found Collins guilty ef manslaughter, and recommended her to mercy. That is the fact that we have f consider. The tribunal which the country appointed decided that the act of this girl was without premeditation or system—that it was practically speaking, dons at a time when she was almost irresponsible for hsr astions, and that she deserved mercy. Han th# judge acted otherwise than he did, he weald have Ignored the finding of an intelligent Jury, and would on his own i esponsibility have reversed their vsrdiot Wo believe no one but a i arson with a warped mind would impugn the verdict of Judge Prendergast. Wo do not oaro to ask the 1 Dally Times whence it has gotten this sudden zeal In the cause of a due administration of the criminal law. When what many thought was, on the evidence, a case of deliberate munder at Green Island last year, was found by the'jury to merely be one of manslaughter, and th. Judge acted in accordance with the vsrdiot, !?* .rfc ind *f d * m#r °y another, why did not the Times point out that the effect of such verdicts and sentences would be to encourage the firing of loaded pistols at an unoffending crowd whenever a drunken ruffian chose to kick at a man's door ? What has kept the ‘ Times ’ BUrnt so long on eases which offered an equal facility for fine writing to the present ? Surely the presence of Mr t’rendergast. as against that of Mr Chapman, can not have had an awakening effect,—* Bruce Herald,*

REMOVAL OP THE JUDREB. keldby some of cur contemporaries that the fact of three Judges out of fire having re signed rather than take charge of new disriiots is an imputation upon the Government. We place for the reason indicated, although it is Gkb *“” h “» ut “ iu