THE MAYOR'S COURT.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2034, 31 August 1880, Page 2

THE MAYOR'S COURT.

To the hditor of the Qlole. Sie,—The matter of a Mayor's Court in this city can scarcely be said to engage bo much attention from the citizens as the importance of the subject demands. I have noticed your two leading articles in advocacy of this tribunal, and have waited to see if the public would show any signs of interestedness in the Hffair. But up to the present no sympathy from this quarter has manifested itself. Why is it ? Tho only iafcrecca I can draw from this apathy ia that every person's business is the business of no one in particular.

It surely, cannot bo because they consider assistance in the administration of justice in our lower Courts unnecessary. Experience must haTO taught them otherwise, • when it is known that the great number of eases sot down for hearing in the one day has compelled the necessity "f the uee of artificial light during the past winter and that persons haTing business at the R.M. Court have had to be in attendance from morning till night waiting to hear their cases called, and which, when heard, havo only ocoupied ten minutes at most. And further, with all due respect to the Eesident Magistrate, whose decisions have bsen sometimes adversely critised, we think it may be fuirly traced to the insufficiency of time at bis command, when witnesses might have too much restricted from giving evidence which, though leading to facts, have been considered irrelerant, and have led to a conclusion which, upon a more patient hearing, might have been the reverse, and thereby causing a miscarriage of justice with no fault to any party concerned. Those have been the ideas with which no doubt many have left the Court. _ It cannot be on account of the non-nece3sity that no action is taken by the public to further the objeot in view. Then if time is money, as we believe it is, both to counsel and others concerned, no one can doubt the public convenience it would afford if a Mayor's Court were established. Again, we are not seeking to establish what has hitherto beeu unknown in any other English or colonial city in this matter. In the old country no town of any importance is without it, and in this our own colony, in Bonedin, to wit, the citizins have enjoyed the benefits derived from this Law Court for many years past, so that precedence is also in its favor. But some parties are asking—What are the duties of the ofEce, and who is capable of discharging them as Mayor in this city ? I presume the duties would be but simple, and such as may be performed by any justice of the peace amongst us —viz., to deal with petty larceny cases, drunks, vagrancy, neighbors' squabble?, and - such liko cases where no parsicularly fine points of law are involved. When we find that all our Resident Magistrates are not members of the legal profession, I think we have a right to believe these duties might be performed by any fairly educated and commonsenso man whom the ratepayers might consider otherwise capable of discharging; the official duties of chief magistrate of this city. But hero I would say the Mayor should by no means adjudicate upon alleged breaches of the city by-laws, or any statute which in his official capacity he has assisted to make, or is otherwise officially interested in. The next question. It has been said that Christchurch has no public building where the busineßß of a Mayor's Court might be conducted. I think it might ia ; rly be suggested that in making known to the Government their wish to assist it in its administration of justice with aa little cost as possible, the Council should make the establishment of a Mayor's Court conditional upon the Government giving them the uee of the Provincial Council Chambers for the purpose, and proriding any clerical assistance that may be required. It should by no means necessitate an increase of local taxation to support it. Yours, &c, J. P. OLIVER. THE OHRISTADELPHIAN ECCLE3IA. To the Editor of the Globe. SlB, —In your iaiue of the 23rd inst. is a letter signed by Alex. McKollop, putting forth to the public representations concerning the Christadelphians and membera of that body. Without going into details of his statements, we beg. through the medium of your columns to give the denial to hio statements as untrue and gross misrepresentations of truth. Let tne public beware of such agitators, and hear for themselves the doctrines expounded by the above Christadelphians. The above was embodied in a resolution unanimously passed by the Christadelphians' -meeting at tho Foresters' Hall. Yours, &c, AUTHORISED BY THE COMMITTEE. August 29th, ISBO.