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Globe, Volume VII, Issue 793, 6 January 1877, Page 2

We had occasion to refer, the other day, to what has generally been stigmatised, on all sides, as an act of extreme and undue severity on the part of the Resident Magistrate of Timaru. A respectable farmer in that district, in a moment of weakness, foolishly tried his hand at distilling whiskey. The man bore a good name, he frankly admitted the facts when brought up before the Bench, and the result was —twelve months’ imprisonment with hard labour, without the option of a fine. But it would appear that Justice, the so-called blind goddess, blows hot and cold, here and there, according, either to certain influences —say climatic or otherwise—or more probably to the state in which the gastric juices of him who acts as her mouth-piece, may be at the time. We believe that one of the highest authorities in England on questions of jurisprudence, has stated that, but too often, judicial decisions depend very much upon the state of the Bench’s stomach. Perhaps the simile traditionally applied to the best fighting trim of the British soldier also applies here. Last week at Greymouth, two men, both old hands in matters aft'ecting injuriously the revenue, and besides “ well-known to the “police,” were convicted of illicit distillation, and were fined £IOO, or in default, ordered to be imprisoned for six months. So we perceive that, in this latter case, although the heinousness of the offence was greatly ’magnified by surrounding circumstances, the penalty was in direct inverse ratio to that recorded in the Timaru case. Those simple facts speak for themselves, and require no comment. We sincerely trust that the efforts now being made towards getting the Crown to mitigate the disproportionate punishment meted out to the Temuka farmer, may be successful. Perhaps the over-zealous official, the cause of many heartburnings in this case, may also take it to mind, and shape his future course accordingly.