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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 99, 21 September 1878, Page 2

It is certainly most unaccountable that, m the face of the document signed by Mp"'M { -CtrL.LocH,''on behalf of himself and his brother jurors, the Minister of Justice lias taken no action with' regard to the verdict returned at the inquest at Pox ton. Upon the supposed declaration of the jury, Chaeles Harnett and Mrs. WAHMf were committed for trial ; and. in defiance of the deliberate declaration that tho recorded verdict was incorrect, no action whatever has been taken. How the charge preferred against the accused can be allowed to hang over their heads by the Government for one hour is a mystery. We will notundertake to say at this stage whether Haknett or the woman Wahle were innocent of neglige nee, censurable or criminally culpable ; it is not our province to- do so. That duty devolved upon the jury; they heard, and, we presume, weighed well the evidence, and having arrived at a verdict, itis entitled to respect. Itis true, by the stupid mistake made' at the conclusion of the inquest, the voice of the jury has lost much of its Weight ; but it certainly is neither m accordance with law or equity, justice or fairness, that because a wrong was committed at tH© outset* and a gross injustice done td two per-' sons, it should be perpetuated. We notice that the names of Mrs Wahle and the purser of the Tui appear m the list of the persons against whom indictments have been made out for trial at the Supreme Court Sessions, which commence on the 7th of October. We believe the Grand Jury will throw out the bill, but we hold that under the circumstances the accused should never have been, subjected to the obliquy and expense which' has been -fastened upon them. !: Their committal was a blunder and a mistake ; its continuance is a standing outrage of justice-.