JUDGE JOHNSON ON CRIME.

Evening Star, Issue 4013, 6 January 1876, Page 2

JUDGE JOHNSON ON CRIME.

la his charge to the Grand Jury of Christchurch, Judge Johnson reviewed the statistics of crime throughout the Colony for the past year. In the entire Colony there had been 269 committals, out of which there were 163 convictions. These figures suggested the necessity for some inquiry being made as to why the convictions bore so small a proper • tion to the committals. Remarking on the calendar, his Honor said that as usual in all parts of the Colony, cases of forgery were greatly in preponderance. Every means had been tried by the Judges, by the infliction of light sentences and heavy sentences, to put a stop to this species of crime. It now became matter for grave consideration whether the Legislature should not be recommended to pass a law which would enable those Sarties —such as small traders and pnbcans—who gave facilities for the cashing of forged cheques and orders, to be, punished, as . well as those who committed the crime itself. In a great many instances, the cheques were cashed by those persons without knowing either the presenrer or the signature, aud he thought that for such culpable negligence they should be made to sufferconsidering the great* expense their negligence put the communitv to in bringing offenders to justice. He should have liked” had time allowed, to refer to the new Bankruprey Law, and the new Law of Evidence. He trusted, however, that the wise intentions of the’ Legislature in both matters would be found to wefck for the good of the Colony. Of course, it could not be supposed that the Bankruptcy Law would give entire ■ satisfaction. In fact, he did not think it would, because if it did, the Colonial Legfelariirc would have outstripped the •fonpSfrl. Parliament in legislating on the subject of bankruptcy,