Manamatu Herald. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1881. THE MANAWATU CORONERSHIP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 67, 22 April 1881, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1881. THE MANAWATU CORONERSHIP.

« The appointment of Mr Ward, K.M., as Coroner for Mapawatu, deserves more than a passing notice. That Mr Ward is personally qualified for the appointment in an eminent degree no one will deny ; in fact, ou the ground of fitness no better appointment could have been made if the country were searched from end to end ; but there is another aspect of the matter -Will the appointment fit in with the duties already placed upon Mr. Ward ? As a Magistrate, Mr Ward holds Courts in Mar ton, Bulls, Feilding, Palmerston, Foxton, and Otaki, the first arid last places being 80 miles distant from each other. As a Judge of the Aasessment Court lie has to deal with objections to the valuation lists of eleven different districts or boroughs. As Chairman of five Licensing Benches he holds Courts quarterly. As Native Officer for the district he is constantly acting for the Government in connection with native matters ; in addition to., which is the routine work of his four offices, viz., at Marion, Feilding, Palmerston, and Foxton. In view of the above list ol duties, it is surely the. height of folly to place on Mr Ward's shoulders the extra work involved in the Cbronerßhip. But apart from the above considerations there are others in connection with this appointment which demand notice. One is the probability of his duties as Coroner interfering with Mr Ward's magisterial work. WliWJJ>n,inqaeßt needs to be held in Foxton on oue of his Marton Cdurt days, which Mfttist give way, — the magisterial or the coronial duties ? Yef snch ;> dinfchltres will constantly occur, owing to the numerous Courts in and enormous length of the dis&°A &#&s» VI £ WiU&wiliM both Coroner and Magistrate. This difficulty would aot obtain ia a fcowa dig* |

trict. There would be less objection, ■< for example, to the appointment of a city R.M. to the office of Coroner than ' there is to one in a wide country district. The city Magistrate is on the spot. He rarely sits after 2 ; o'clock, and can arrange his magisterial work so that he is free to attend any inquest at any moment. Not so the Magistrate in this district. His Courts are so numerous, and his duties so varied, that it is almost impossible for him to alter his arrangements on the receipt of a telegram that an inquest must be held immediately gome fifty miles away, more especially when it is remembered that between Marton, where Mr Ward resides, and Manawatu, there is only one train per day. In fact, the most superficial observer will see that if the Coroner's work is to be done expeditiously,-and that is a most i important point, seeing that interment cannot take place until after the inquest — the Magistrate's duties must be thrown asicle, to the evident detriment of the public, as Court business will be delayed. If, on the other hand, las magisterial duties are to take precedence, and the Coron« r's inquests are to wait until the E. M. has a spare day, the public feeling will oxpress itself very strongly against swell delay in interring the dead. We have merely argued against the appointment on local grounds, and think we have shown sufficient reason for asserting that the appointment is an objectionable one. But upon broad grounds we think still greater objection may be taken to that appointment. Our law does not suppose the appointment of one person as Coroner and Resident Magistrate. The duty of a Coroner is to enquire into all sudden and violent deaths, or fires whereby any building, ship or merchandise, or any stack of corn, pulse, or hay, or any growing crop is destroyed or damaged. Itis stated in Johnston's " Justice ofthe Peace " as follows : — It is the duty of the Coroner, when a verdict of wilful murder is returned, and also in all cases where it appears to him desirable that a further investigation should take pUce into the circumstances of the matter which »■■ ye rise to the inquest, to cause a copy of the evidence taken at the inqu<st to be forwarded, forthwith, to the nearest Resident Magistrate. The Resident Magistrate is thereupon to cause such investigatioK to the forthwith made as may appear to him necessary. The learned Judge thus explains the objects of these enactments : — The objects of these enactments would seem to b», first, to ensure a regular ordinary investigation before a Magistrate in cases where a Coroner's jury have found a verdict of murder, so as not to leave the case to be dealt with in the Supreme Court on the inquisition only, if there should be evidence enough to snpportan indictment ; and, secondly, to insure further investiya tion in cases when the vt.rdict of a Coroner's jwy may be of doubtful propriety, or may have proceeded on insufficient testimony, or where there is reason for suspecting that further inquiry would lead to the discovery of an offen c or of an offender. The above quotation proves that chat the law regarding Coroners never supposed the dual appointment of Magistrate and Coroner would be held by one person, as the Magistrate's Court is evidently intended os a superior Court to that held by the Coroner s in tact, as a check upon it. We therefore think that in uniting the two offices in one person the Government are acting in opposition to the spirit of the law, and to the object of the law in providing for the two separate invesrigations. If any saving would be effected to the revenue by the proposed amalgamation, we could understand the action of the Government regarding this appointment. As a matter of fact, however, the Act provides for certain fees being paid to the ( oroner for each inquest he holds. Consequently, thfl cost to the country will be just the same as if somo other gentleman, not so burdened with duty as Mr Ward is, had been appointed. Looking at the appointment from every point of view except Mr Ward's personal fitness, we think a mistake has been made, and that a very short experience will prove the necessity of another gentleman being made Ooroner for Manawatu. It is understood ! that the appointment was quite as great a surprise to Mr Ward as to ourselves. In fact, we are aware that he strongly recommended Mr j Macarthur for the position, and in reply received a notification that as he himself had been appointed his recommendation could not be considered. There cau be no doubt that Mr Macarthur's appointment would have given general satisfaction.