The Globe. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1224, 5 February 1878, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1878.

Sir G. Grey's visit to the Wairarapa, and somo remarks made by him at Greytown, have directed public attention to his famouK poisoning letter to tho Wairampa Standard, published in that journal in the early part of 1875. His explanation of his object in writing that letter is contained in the following passage from his speech:—" He brought tho matter forward to show that all recommendations made by a Governor paid by colonists, and sent homo to tho Secretary of State, should bo made public. He said tho system of secret advice to the authorities at home was extremely objectionable. The wholo thing presented to his mind such a shocking picture of what might take placo, that ho determined in tho most forcible manner to bring tho subject under public notice. It was all very well to say that he was afraid of being poisoned hjttieejf. Tfcoee who fcnew hjm were

aware that a fooling of that kind was not one of his characteristics. Even if lie feared such a thing ho -would still go straight on with his duties, undeterred by such apprehension. He had determined to bring forward what ho considered to bo a gross instance of secret advice being tendered by peoplo in power. Ho wished the subject as a whole to bo considered, and he thought that by bringing forward a striking instance of the kind he should direct public attention to it." It will not bo necessary to givo at length the substance of that letter. Most peoplo at tho timo regarded it as utterly destitute of moaning, or, if it had any sense at all, it was looked upon as an effort to sot class against class, and so it was allowed to appear and sink into forgetfulness, without any effort to penetrate its hiddon meaning. But Sir G. Grey's reference to it tho other day, and the explanation ho gives of what his intention was, have revived an interest in it. A journal which blindly follows his lead recognises in it, only an " exaggerated mothod of drawing attention to tho subject of which it treated." Tho letter, as our readers may remember, began by calling attention to the fact that tho system of Government into which Now Zealand had been drawn by tho action of the General Government might lead into tho class feelings which disturb the order of society in tho mother country. Instances are then quoted of this class feeling—that of two murderers, ono, a man of position, who was reprieved on tho ground of insanity, and tho other that of a labouring man, who was executed. Then followed some ravings regarding secret executions, winding up with some unintelligible reference to tho poisoning of party leaders by the Council of Ten. All this extraordinary exaggeration was, wo learn, to show that tho system of secret advice to the authorities at home was extremely objectionable, and to protest against tho practice of secret legislation by Orders in Council. Now, howover, that Sir G. Grey has become a Cabinet Minister, tho necessity for doing everything publicly is not quite so apparent to him. He admits that there are some subjects which might bo considered privately, although he still maintains that many things might be dono openly which are not. Sir G. Grey's reference to tho two murderers, was, no doubt, striking, and the widespread feeling of injustice, which he said existed at home, might have been nearly paralleled by a case in New Zealand, had tho letter been written now instead of in 1875. Ho might have pointed out how, in Duuedin, a few months ago, a man belonging to the wealthy classes was charged with a felonious act, how the Government of the day, with a delicate consideration for his feelings, allowed his case to bo brought before a special jury; how after two unsuccessful trials the Executive decided not to proceed with the charge Ho might then have enlarged upon the widespread feeling of injustice which those proceedings had engendered in the minds of the- classes to which Prondfoot did "not" belong, and to complete the picture he might have wound up with tho announcement that the Ministry which had perpetrated this gross act of injustice was that of Sir G. Grey himself. But if this illustration were not sufficient, ho might have enlarged upon tho doijjgs of the Premier on the last day of last session to show the necessity of placing men in power who would avoid tendering secret advice on important public questions. He might have dwelt upon the fact that the Premier advised the Governor to veto the Land Bill, after his Government had succeeded in carrying it through both Houses of the Legislature. These two instances might easily have been made to prove that during no period in the history of Now Zealand was there a greater danger than now of a class cry being raised in this colony.

In the Resident Magistrate's Court, the other morning, Inspector Hickson requested his Worship to inflict a heavier penalty on second and subsequent offenders guilty of allowing cattle to wander at large than he has been hitherto doing. This Mr. Mellish declined to do, basing his refusal on the ground, that, if the police were a little more active in looking after stray cattle, the nuisance could bo kept under. We think his Worship made a mistake. In dealing with most other breaches of the law, a second offender fares much worse than one who has made his appearance in Court for the first timo. Wero all the cattle and horses which are found about the streets and squares at night, straying there by pure accident, it would be different. But it is well known that there aro many deliberate offenders against the Act, who regularly turn out their horses or cattle on tho belts, squares, and quiet streets, and remove them in the early morning. The damage which is thus dono to public property is considerable. The trees in our squares are destroyed, and the limbs o.f those citizens whoso business compels them to bo out at a late hour, aro endangered. Those habitual law breakers can afford an occasional fivo shillings, as a fine, as it pays them better to do so, than go to the cost of providing sufficient paddock accommodation. The advice given by Mr. Mellish that the police should bo more active in the pursuit of stray cattle, may for anything we know be needed. But if the thirty miles of streets comprised within Christchurch aro to bo carefully searched every night, the force must be increased, and consequently tho cost to the community at large. Wo cannot help thinking that a most satisfactory way of remedying the evil is that suggested by Inspector Hickson, as it makes the offenders against the law, not the public, pay the cost.

The serious charge which has been made against the House Surgeon at the Christchurch Hospital is ono which cannot bo alloAved to remain uninvestigated. If, in taking the courso which ho did, Mr, Floyd Collins was acting on his own responsibility entirely, it is plain that he has been guilty of a gross piece of cruelty, and is unfit to hold the position which ho fills; and if ho has an authorised regulation to back him, tho sooner it is revoked tho better it will bo for tho credit of tho institution. The facts of tho case, as disclosed in the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, are as follow. On Sunday evening a respectable looking woman, named Auoie Robiuson,

gave horself up to tho police, and stated that she had stolen some wearing apparel in Lyttelton, but sho had dono so in order to bo taken charge of by tho police, as sho had been deserted by her husband, had no home to go to, and was near her confinement. Dr. Coward saw her, and finding the condition in which sho was, ho gave an order for her admission into tho Hospital. Armed with this authority the police removed her, about ten o'clock, to that institution, but, strango to say, Mr. Collins refused to recognise the order, and so sho had to bo brought back to tho police station, and, at considerable danger to her life, kept there till Monday morning, when sho was, on the order of the Resident Magistrate, removed to Addington Gaol. What explanation Mr. Floyd Collins has to give for his apparently cruel conduct, wo do not know. We trust, however, that he will bo put upon his defence, and that, too, at no distant date, for wo hopo tho Government, whose notico has already been directed to the case, will call upon him to givo a full explanation of his conduct, and we hopo that his statement will bo made public.