The Globe. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 827, 15 February 1877, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1877.

A yeby important change indeed has just been effected by the Government in the high Judicial department of the colony. Instead of having, as heretofore, and as is the case in every other district,"one Judge only in charge of its affairs judicial, the Supreme Court District of Wellington will now be presided over by two gentlemen—Mr Justice Richmond, just returned from Europe on leave of absence, having been gazetted to act for that district conjointly with the Chief Justice. The announcement of this addition has naturally been received with considerable surprise all over the colony. Of course, the real reason of so startling a proceeding as that of doublebanking a department already much under-worked is very simple. The fact is that the Government has already too many Judges on hand and is at a complete loss to dispose of them. And this unpleasant state of things is unfortunately of no recent date. It was a sad sore with the Cabinet in the old Stafford days, and a continual source of annoyance to Sir Julius, who often winced and groaned under the load of troubles entailed upon the Ministry of the day by the claims of this “ old man of the mountain,” the high Judicial team. How to dispose of them, how to satisfy them and settle the differences and jealousies continually arising, is a task not easily undertaken in days such as the present, when back-door influences, especially with the gentlemen in question, are so very powerful. But when Mr Justice Eichmond returned, the other day, from his two years’ leave, matters indeed assumed the appearance of becoming rather complicated. As a matter of fact Judges in their various districts had already very little to do, and Mr Chief Justice Prendergast, in Wellington, a good deal less than any of his brethren. In proportion to population and distances of circuit, it has long been notorious that we in New Zealand rejoice in the possession of about twenty Judges to one who may be found in Great Britain. How we arrived at this result is not of difficult explanation. Judgeships, unfortunately, were not created to suit the requirements of the people, but only, in many instances, to provide rewards for or to keep out of mischief, certain persons who had it in their power to make themselves dangerous. Theappointment of Judge Gillies to the Auckland district is a case in point. Here we have a man totally unfitted for the Bench, and especially for sitting in a place like Auckland, where his peculiarities, political or otherwise, had made him hosts of friends and enemies, manipulated into a full blown Judge at a moment’s notice, because his influence in Parliament was such as to render the position of a young but promising Ministry rather precarious. But the complications likely to follow Mr Eichmond’s arrival in the colony were not of long duration. Major Atkinson, it iG well known, is a relative and a great friend of that gentleman, and the Gordian knot was soon severed by the gallant Premier. There was no scheming to slice away portions of the contiguous judicial districts to form a new one for Mr Eichmond, nor was it strongly impressed upon any of the judges that a few years’ leave of absence would be found desirable and expedient. Although the business of the Supreme Court district of Wellington is perhaps considerably less in proportion than that of any other district, some excuse for locating Mr Eichmond there must be found, and the Major was not slow in manufacturing some sort of reasons wherewith to satisfy the prying eyes of public opinion. The ffleio Zealand Times, the organ of the Ministry, was, as usual, entrusted with the task of gilding the pills. And a most difficult task it has proved indeed. The happy thought which had struck our versatile Premier, was that Wellington City, being the capital of the colony, might M well boast of possessing two Judges, so that one could constantly be there at the elbow of the Government. Then the Times set to work, a’d

in a short article which begs the question and is apologetic to a degree, it endeavours to prove that a want long and sadly neglected has at last bebn attended to, by which results of the most brilliant character must follow. “On several grounds,” it thinks, “it has been for long considered highly desirable that the Supreme Court at Wellington should bo represented by at least two gentlemen. Now that there are two, nothing will be easier than so- to arrange the circuits that at all times one Judge shall bo at Wellington.” Yes, and so it might be said of the Canterbury, and of every other district, where the Judges are also compelled to go on circuit, and, for a time, to be absent from the head-quarters of their district. The Times' arguments are so miserably shallow that they will certainly fail to impose upon any one. Why not have admitted at once, that as Mr. Justice Eichmond was “on hand,” until his services could be utilised, it had been found judicious to station him at the centre] of Government. Those little fibs of the Times, which are placed in its mouth by the Ministry, are not even well told. The Times has, besides, a rather unhappy way of arguing the point. “ This arrangement,” it adds, “ which we notice with pleasure, evidently betokens on the part of the Government an intention to break in upon what has been termed the ‘ one-horse system in judicature.” What is the real meaning of this profound remark wo are not quiet prepared to say. The Wellington people, all the world is aware, are much fonder of “ two and three or.even ten-horse ” concerns than than they are of one. Two seats of Government, and a “ two-horse ” Governor, would not be found objectionable by them. la these days of boasted retrenchment it appears, unfortunately, that the pruning knife cannot reach the tree of officialism so high as to interfere with judicial extravagances, it cuts and scarifies the small fry only, and ’tis more the pity. After all, Mr. Bathgate, of Dunedin, should not have been reviled so severely as some people have done. He only grasped a small prize, that of Eesident Magistrate of Dunedin, while, as in case of Messrs. Dudley Ward, Gillies, and Prendergast, he might have flown at higher game, and demanded as a right the privilege of also wearing the ermine.