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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 201, 18 November 1864, Page 2

Since it has been found needful to disband the Defence Force on the score of economy, and otherwise to reduce the expenditure of the country in one direction and another, it is a wonder that it has never occurred to the Government to reduce the staff of officers with which we abound. There is, for instance, the Civil Commissionership, than which probably it would be impossible to find a more useless, meaningless, and altogether unnecessary office. What’s the good of that kind of office we should like to know ? It has been in existence for more than two years, yet we never heard of anything coming of it of a satisfactory, or even for that matter of an unsatisfactory, nature. Still it costs the country a heavy sum, and there are besides all manner of et-ceteras as well as the mere Civil Commissioner to be attended to and paid for as part of his department, all of which entail a further heavy outlay. Again, we have as many as Jour Resident Magistrates in this Province. What do they do ? Can anybody answer that question ? There is one for Napier—that is right enough ; there must always be a Stipendiary Magistrate in towns of a certain size. There is one at Waipawa, a worthy gentleman enough, but his office there is a most respectable sinecure, and, in fact, seldom, if ever, called into operation. Then we have othertwo Resident Magistrates, who don’t reside anywhere, but who administer justice after the most approved patriarcbial style—under every hedge and upon any convenient fence. Something in the manner of Judge Lynch, these worthy Dogberries travel up and down, seeking whom they may punish, and finding for the most part, none.

All these Magistrates cost the country a matter of three or four hundred a year each, then there are clerks, interpreters, and a great number of other contingencies to be met, calling for a consideration. We should say that <£2,000 a year would hardlj cover the expenses of the Magisterial department, irrespective of the Napier branch of that Establishment. A heavy sum, that, under any circumstances, to pay for nothing, but a stupendous sum indeed to pay for that quantity out of an empty purse.

We trust that our Representatives will not lose sight of these matters when they go to Auckland. There was something to be said in favor of the Defence Force, although not much; but for the other items just enumerated, nothing can be advanced. We, therefore, propose that these items be struck off.

Moreover, to add to the absurdity of the thing, the Civil Commissioner is about, we hear, to take a trip to England on leave of absence!! Leave of absence is a privilege generally allowed to public servants of long standing and acknowledged worth, and implies also that they leave some sort of duty or post behind them, which will require to be taken up at a future date; whereas the holder of the office w.e refer to has only been in office a little more than a year, and it would puzzle the most intelligent of his sup-

porters and admirers to discover a single instance during that period in which he has distinguished himself—in fact we never heard of his ever being called upon to distinguish himself. We particularly require this item to be struck out.