Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1889.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 279, 16 July 1889, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1889.

The Government were asked the other day by .Mr Smith, if they would amenq the present law so as to provide $>r the payment of oro er's juries. The Government we regret to say, replied that the question was such a large one, and the cost so great, that they would not f el justified at the present time in p-oposing that j uroi s should be paid. On this particular point they may be right, as a payment for their services, would be an admission of their need. We do n"t see however why the whole question «a to the use of these juries cannot be raised, ad if thought advisable why t.ey should not be , abolished. Ir, i' s merc y .'be retention of a very old! custom, bu has not, in these days, i anything to c<>mmtfnd it. sitis | now the coroner does all the enoui y that is required, hardly an instance haying- been known where tne jury assisted in eluci&s^ matlars. Tho enquiry before the coroner is merely a preliminary one, and a case ocouvtdd on y the other A*y in N p : or wbieh lhows how fojriaa^e that it laowjrM. XhewtkeJttiy i^irted:

against the rating of the coroner, to bring in a verdict of homicide, where the intent certainty tqmUiA to tie. o»e of murder but the Coroner Unfit to accept the verdict, In what man ncr this would effect the person most co ti corned, that is the person against Wlidrii the Verdict was.recorded, can be guaged", when it is stated tliat the Coroner is empowered to issue, and actually did issue, a warrant against the man charged, for murder. The jury were 1 tiled piit entirely aside, and the whole proceedings were valueless. It is go in all cases, even when tlie Coroner agrees with the verdiot found by his jury, as it is always possib c for the police to | take actitfh at any tlriie, against any person suspected of having committed a crime. The Coroner and his jury merely enquire into the facts connected with the death of any person, and are not a faddy to administer justice in any way. The great safety of th se enquiries wou'd lie in countries where facts werej ikely to be concealed, and deeds committed which powerful persons desired bushed up, but in this colony the retention of the juries seems to be as unnecessary, as they are unpleasant and expensive to the persons summoned to seive on them. We should much like to see some action yet taken in the House this session, towards effecting the change we have set forth.