The Globe. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1254, 26 March 1878, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1878.

The nowly-olectcd member for Wellington, Mr, Barton, addressed his constituents on Thursday evening last, and if the report of bis speech which appears in the local papers is at till an accurate one, it must have been an extraordinary performance. To Mr. Barton’s views on the franchise, the ballot, Ac., wo do not wish to refer, hut come at once to that part which deals with his own position. It would appear from the speech itself that by some extraordinary combination of circumstances, Mr. Barton succeeded in obtaining four very antagonistic votes that of the Orangemen and Roman Catholics, publicans, and Rechahites. His secret would ho worth knowing, hut wo are afraid nothing hut a lawyer could succeed in reconciling such rival parties. It was whispered at the time that superior skill in party warfare was at the bottom of the victory for Mr. Barton, hut the Grey party claimed it as proof of the growing popularity of their Jcause. The Tablet, the organ of the Roman Catholics, is now half inclined to admit that they made a mistake—that the lawyer in fact was too many for them. How the publicans and Rechahites succeeded in joining their forces, must, we suppose, remain a mystery to all but those who pulled the wires. As Mr. Barton’s majority was not a very largo one, it may ho taken for granted that had the electors allowed the great political questions of the day to influence thorn alone, the successful candidate would have been Mr, Pearce. A great part of Mr. Barton’s speech on Thursday evening was devoted to the Courts of law, “It was a very good thing,” he said “to have a first-class Parliament, with first-class legislation and laws of a liberal kind; but what was the good of them if the Court that administered them was not right?” and then ho at once plunged into the congenial subject of his quarrels with the judges. The old story of persecution with which the colony is now familiar was repeated at great length. It was well known, he said, that he had been carrying on a good business, hut they would he surprised to hear that he was a poorer man by £2OOO than when ho came to Wellington. That fact ho attributed to the Court denying him costs whenever they could ho refused. Mr. Barton’s admission as to the lucrative nature of Court costs should act as a solemn warning to all intending litigants. What a blessing it would be for the community were all the lawyers to follow Mr. Barton’s example, and quarrel for ever with every judge in the colony. As reported, the history of his wrongs is far from proof of the truth of his assertions. First we are told that when he began to practice in Wellington, while conducting an application before the Licensing Bench, his remarks were frequently interrupted by a constable standing behind him. Then he told his hearers of a member of the police force who carried on a sort of trading on his own account, and of a bailiff who had been in the receipt of eight shillings per week to prevent him putting in an execution. Those little facts may or may not he true, hut they certainly do not prove either that justice in the lower courts is, as a rule, unfairly administered, or that Mr Barton has suffered any great pecuniary loss himself in consequence. His remarks, as reported, regarding the Supreme Court are equally pointless. He referred to one or two eases in which he said the judges acted wrongly, winding up with the circumstances which led to his committal for contempt of court. If he has been badly treated his speech certainly does not prove that such was the case, nor did he bring forward evidence to show that he lost money through the unfair treatment of the Court. We regret to notice that his remarks regarding the judges apparently met with the approval of a portion of his audience. At the time of Mr Barton’s committal it was the opinion of all right thinking men that ho richly deserved the punishment which he got. Notwithstanding repeated warnings, he had persisted in attempting to lower the character of the Court, and it was only after they would have shown themselves incapable of appreciating the dignity of their position had they refused to notice his insolence, that they decided to commit him for contempt. It is absolutely necessary that our Court should be conducted with decorum, and the utmost respect paid to the administrators of the law, but had Mr. Barton been allowed to go unpunished it would have been on record that the honor and integrity of our judges could be questioned with impunity. One of Mr. Barton’s first acts when ho enters the House will he to try and get an enquiry into his own case. $y Ull means, if there is privia fdpe evidence, let an enquiry he held, but if the speech delivered on Thursday last contains all that he had to say in favor of such a course, there is little chance, we should think, of his obtaining his wish.

■Off hie years much has been said and written upon the question of developing our native industries. Nearly every year the subject is before Parliament in eon’s shape or form, and there is always a hearty desire manifested to help forward the good cause. Pnhlic funds are voted to encourage the establishment of such works, and there is a tendency in some quarters even to adopt the vicious system of protection in order to bolster them up. According, however, to the announcement of the manager of the Wailseud Coal Company, which appears in the morning

papers, a clifforot spirit is manifested towards at least one of our local industries. Not only is it not favoured in any way, it is actually hampered and repressed. The railway authorities refuse to supply the manager with sufficient railway waggons for conveying coals from South Malvern to Christchurch, The consequence is, wo learn, that a considerable number of miners are thrown out of employment. Between the three or four pits at Malvern some forty or fifty men have to remain practically idle. This in itself is a serious consideration. It checks the progress of an industry which should receive the utmost consideration at the hands of the Government. It imposes a tax upon every man who is forced to use imported coal, when ho prefers, on the score of economy, supporting a local industry. Were all treated alike,it would be different, for wo know that there is supposed to bo a great pressure of traffic at present. But railway waggons, wo are informed, are always forthcoming to convey Newcastle coals from Lyttelton to Christchurch and elsewhere. If this is true, the sooner the public protest, in an emphatic manner, the better. Not long ago wo had to call attention to a rank case of jobbery by which a rich squatter, but a friend of the present Government, was enabled to use the “ people’s railways” to convey his sheep, at a positive loss to the revenue. Are the railways to bo used to to crush a rapidly-rising industry, which should soon employ a largo number of men, in order that the importer may force his wares upon the unwilling public P Had Malvern coal a fair field and no favour, it would soon be largely used in Christchurch and suburbs, and save a considerable outlay on the part of the consumer. When will the “ people’s” Government find time to attend to their most pressing wants ?