OPPRESSION BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 95, 26 November 1879, Page 2

OPPRESSION BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT.

It has been the boast of all British subjects from time immemorial that the wooden walls of Old England wore impregnable, and it amounted almost to high treason to contravene the assertion. The American war, however, created a diversity of opinion, upon that point, brought about by circumstances to which the world had been previously a stranger. In like manner, also, the. criminal laws of Great Britain and her colonies have always been looked upon as near perfection as possible. A circumstance has, however, occurred during the past week, which is calculated to create an opposite, opinion, at least m the mind of the. unfortunate person mos*". concerned. An actor of the name of Tyrrell was arrested on bourd the Tararua— upon a charge of ob; taining money under, fakje pretences— just as he was about to sail for luvercargilj, to fulfil an engagement m that town. It was, of course, m vain for the poor; fellow to vehemently deny the charge, he was ignominiously dragged off m custody, confined m a cell at the lock-up at'Por.t Chalmers until transferred to Christchurch, where the charge had been laid, and then brought up at court only to be disdhatjged, as it was a case of mistaken identity/ Tyrrell's wife, hiid been m bad health, and the news of the. arre3t of her b.ushaad had give,n her a shock so as to endanger he,r life. Thus he t haslost his employ.ine.nt, been cast into prison, his wife almost killed, 4 his name blighted, his passage lost, and he has, the poor consolation of knowing that as the blunder was msde by a paternal Government, lie had no redress whatever, and ho was cast adrift to find his way to Invercargill as best he could, and if not to " grin and bear it." It is im possible to estimate, the damage donq to his pha.racter, as out of the whole shipfull who witnessed his arrest, I quest io,n if three would ever become aware of the mistaken identity, and the chances are that should 'they ever meat again, he would be as one to be shunned and ay.oided.