Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 799, 27 June 1870, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1870.

An instance of rapid legislation is afforded by the recent parage through the General Assembly of a bill to alter the form of sentence in cases of conviction of the crime of high treason. Our readers will remember the absurd position in which the Judge of the Supreme Court has hitherto been placed in such cases. There was no alternative but to pass the sentence as it stood, and to inform the convict that, although such sentence was passed upon him, it would not be carried into effect.

The Bill in question was introduced into the Legislative Council on the 16th inst., read a second and third time, passed, and sent down to the Jjowcr House on the next day, where it was also read a firsb time. It was read a second time and debated on the 21st, and committed, read a third time, and passed n.ext day,-—the reason fo,r this haste being, in the -words of the hon. Mr Sewell, "that there were prisoners now awaiting trial, and the Government

desired that there might not be a repetition of what he might say had become almost a public scandal." The bill substitutes the ordinary form of death sentence for that of the old law.