JUSTICES’ JUSTICE.

Evening Star, Issue 4145, 9 June 1876, Page 2

JUSTICES’ JUSTICE.

To ike SdUor Sir, —According to your report of theiiAse of Dodson, charged with allowing a person acting on his behaf, on June % to Supply a man with liquor while in a drunken state, the information was dismissed because of the conflict of testimony between Hooper and Darling. I have carefully read your repert, mid fail to see any conflict of evidence which affected the case before the Bench. The points at issne were—lst. Was the man to whom the liquor WAS supplied drunk ? 2nd. Was he, while drunk, supplied with liquor 7 1* does not appear, from the report in your paper that the witness Darling contradicted Hooper en either : of these points, end the other matters were irrelevant. -If Justices fail to eon* vict till thd testimony of the publican or his agent agrees in au points with that of the informant on whose statement he is prosecuted, we shall long have a continuance of the stats of things presented by our police reports, which show thousands Of “drunk” eases before the Courts, and one eolittty case of- prosecution for permitting drunkenness or selling to « drank person. Before closing, allow me to ask is it a proper or even a seemly thing that mem Who wo not . think it beneath the dignity of a J.P. to be seen noblerising At a public bar, or who are the holders of a wholesale or bottle license, should sit on the bench to adjudicate on oases affecting “the trade ?” Ido notsaythese gentlemen would consent to any' decision against their conscience, but they must in the nature of things be more than human if they can prevent their judgment of tacts and evidence being influenced by the habits and asaodaturns of their daily lives; i Would it pot be more in harmony With tbeends of justiceand good government l that all. cases arising under thelicensing laws should no before our stipendiary magistrate. ■—d- am, Sp., Observer. Dunedin, June 9. ’ /