Magisterial Comments.

Manawatu Herald, 18 July 1899, Page 2

Magisterial Comments.

« The extract under the above heading in Commissioner TuDbridge'p Report i* a very able answer to thp unc^nsidered remarks of certain magistrates and is well worth perusal : — Recently there have been several Maghtprial comment* on the method* adopted by police in obtaining evidence against persons engaged in 'he "ly-grog traffic, and illegal (or what is popularly known as " tote ") betting. In glaring cases of branches of the law and where it wai impossible fo obtain evidence by other moans, the police have endeavour -ft to procure j)or?ons to pither purchase liquor from tho former or mata b?t^ with tha lafcfcer, and in aomeinstnnce' havfl been successful. Theao m^thod-^a very email min~rUy of f he Magistrates hive coniid^rdd i» their duty to describe as " dangerous ind imdersirahlp," I admit that if evidpnc-? could h* otherwise obtained tha course, d^crib^d should no!; he reported to, but I am unable to discover of.h<?r ra""?n 3 , and if 'he learned gentlem°n in qn^sMon know of othpr m n anq of oh'ainin? thn nece3?ary evidence I fihnnM ba extremp'y sfi-a^eful if they wonld commaoicnt thorn to rap. The matter Pimp'y roanlves it^p.lf into thi* : that thp p->lifiQ are to s^and by and allow wh il a< »alpf» hrpafihp>» of th^ law to gn nnch^ckod, aUhongh in th« ca'p of illpgal ptrept.h-»tting the nui^mf has hocorm littlfl short nf a oryin? r oindai, or p'nenre "vid fl na^ in »h° mmrner dft^oribpd. Si long^ a=i nnn n hnt notorious off-nd-^ra arp by thPß=" ra^nns broughfc to jmtici I prefar to nontinno on the latter ciurs«\ and I feel confid nfc that, notwith^tandinc th^o occasional remarks from thp Masi-storial B?noh, tho police wilV reo^ivp th« support of th« unpre--I'idiced p">r-ion of fh<? commnnity. Tf thprp* wavn suspicion even that an aitpmo l ". had b->pn m^de to pnbrap an innocent or isnorant person into breaking the law, th n there would he com? point in these remarks, bu' I dr>fy anyone to prove that snoh has bepn the ci'p. and in the ahvnae of suf-h proof Kfl lbnrt th°sp Magisterial onmra^nts are uncalled for, and can o^y tend to deter the police from ondpavo'mng to* enforce a prope»* nbs->rvanc9 of fh^ law and. thereby ohpek what U admitted to be ffrowin? evil. I miy add that daring my upwiird-i of tw^ntv- c »K years' experience before the London Metropo litan Police courts Magistrate* | preMdincr afe Mmso Cmrks (amonsr't whom wore the late Sir Thomas Henry, th° W« S ; r James logham, fhn la^o Mi' Montagu William'. Sir J>hn Bridge and Sir Jampp y+nghan) always aco<',ptpd without comment evid^nca against notorious offmder^ obtained in the manner herein described, heing careful, how-p-ver, to spo thit the praoMoa was not abnsfd by an attempt to eatnp an innocent person. If the Magistrates hflre wnve to reserve thsir coramenfs nnMl there was a suggestion that th» practice wag baing abused then I should h^va no oa»re^ to complain, but the pflkcfc of the pr^n 1 : what I consider to be uncalled for remarks h to encourage the lawbreaker and discourasr a thf? policemen.