A HAPPY FAMILY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 39, 26 March 1879, Page 2

A HAPPY FAMILY.

No sooner Ims the comedy of the Local Board been oYev, than Foxtou .has been made the theatre of an absurd farce; all Monday afternoon was taken up by the holding of a private inquiry, into a charge laid by Mr. Eock^row against Constable Purcell. From what we could learn, it seems that a few persons were chatting on the Kail way platform, when Mr. Boekstrow's assertion m the County Council— that he did not know Tom Bowe— fell under review' and the Constable remarked that if Mr. Bockstrow said he did not know Tom Bo we, -be—would be telling a barefaced lie. It appears that some officious standerby, said, "Here is the Doctor. You had better say it to his face ;" and Mr. Bockstrow came up and asked the Constable what had beensaid, whereupon the officer gave him the desired information. It appears, then, that Mr. Bockstrow telegraphed for an inquiry, stating that a Constable m uniform had insulted him. At the inquiry Dr. Bpckstro'w concentrated his remarks on the reply to his inquiry, and evinced no desire to rebut the likely inference to, be drawn from his remarks. The Constable, of course, admitted the statement, but asserted that it was merely an answer to a direct interrogatory, rather than an insult. No explanation seems to hare been sought as to. why Mr. Bockstrow should have been desirous of learning the subject of a purely private conversation. It must be a happy' township to reside m where one of the leading men has to defend his honor by such a. question-' able proceeding, and objects to any palliating evidence being taken which would b» likely to show not only the reason for the remark, but also the manner m which that remark had been made to him. Certainly if Mr. Bockstrow now admits that Mr. Bowe's personality was known to him at the time of the Council meeting, then ho is guilty of the grossest duplicity, as the whole tenor of his remarks led to a contrary onclusion. , Such is the case as it stands at present. There is no doubt that the whole of the evidence will be laid before, the chief of the Department, with what result we shall presently learn. . Before; any . action ihould be taken it would jbe interesting to learn whethfr both sides went into this. discUßsion free from all bias, as we remember it is not long since a petition was got up to get this same Constable removed from Foxton, and although it had a fair number of names attached to it, upon enquiry it was found that the largest number had. been compulsory attendants at the court- on pre* vio.tt.9 occasions m cases not adding lustre to their characters. We do not .think the complainant m tiiis clutrge aotuallr signed the petition, but we believe he was m fiivor of i,ta object. „