A COMPLAINT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1960, 17 November 1874, Page 2

A COMPLAINT.

[to the editor.] Sir— ln all civilised countries the common law rights and privileges of person and property are not to be meddled with, unless on good cause shown. In Goldfields districts, and it would seem particularly so in this locality, there exists a certain looseness which, if not instantly checked, may very shortly lead to serious results. Allow me to give two instances happening curiously enough within a few days of each other. The first regards an undue and shamefully unwarrantable in? terference with personal liberty. A respectable miner named Carey, whose mate was recently killed by a terrace slip in one of our gullies, was brought up from his hut in handcuffs to the lock-up, on a charge of pilfering some of the dead man's clothing. He was kept in durance vile over forty-eight hours till Court day, when tie case against him utterly broke down, and he was discharged. Now, what I wish to point out is this— There was no sworn information laid against Carey, as the law requires, but merely a certain rumor or rumors let float regarding the color of a wearing shirt which Carey had, and which looked like a certain other shirt which the deceased had, &c, &c, and on this trumpery basis a long, well-known, and honorable character was trampled under foot, and the shirty instigators, whoever they may be, cannot be discovered. Surely there must be some malpractice here, otherwise the enjoyment of personal liberty about No Town is burlesque ! My second instance relates to the right of property. I have a summons now before me which, to anyone but a lawyer, is a real curiosity, and deserves a sacred shelf in the future No Town Museum (which, by the way, would soon fill up with our local and altogether unique rarities). One party always on the jump, and quite an authority on the Law of Sections and Licences, is anxious to jump another party's 3ite, and to do so in proper legal form has to make a complaint in presence of the Warden. But in this instance the Warden is miles away, and the complaint is not made "before me ' ? (the Warden) as the law requires, but before another '?rae" of quite an inferiar- stamp, who can just as legally represent the Judge in sneh. rights of propeity, as I can represent, on 9th December, Venus in her transit ! Not a a bad flight, is it 1 No Town.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, the "Wanganui Ohronile " informs us, will hold its next a.tting in JWellington, commencing on the 4th December. Ifc is added that the Rev. Robert M'Kinney, of Mahurangi, Auckland, will be Moderator. It is not often that a Governor of a British colony resigns on the ground that the people over whom he is called to rule are not fit for responsible Jgovernment. This, however, appeares to have happened in Natal. The " South African Mail" of the 4th September last, published at Cape Town, contains the following paragraph :— "Sir Benjamin Pine has sent in his resignation asLiuet.-Governor of Natal. The motives which have prompted him to resign, there can be no good in speculating upon, tie asserts that Natal is not fit for responaibb government, and resigns."