THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 93, 21 April 1877, Page 2

THE WEEK.

I made a point of closely observing that unfortunate prisoner on Monday last, and as I think it redounds much to his credit 1 may mention that I distinctly saw a modest blush suffuse his countenance as he took his place in the dock and noticed the preparations that had been made for his reception. There were his Honor the Chief Justice of the colony, the Sheriff aud the Registrar. Then there was the crier, who gave us a recitation, in what to many was au unknown tongue, relating to the business that had called the Court together and the duties of those who were to take part in the proceedings. Uewigged barristers awaited bis advent; eighteen Grand Jurymen had journeyed from town aud couutry to decide whether he should be handed over to the Judge or not; aud just as many petty jurors as there were blackbirds iii that pie which iu our childhood we were informed was set before a king in the days of yore (four and twenty)answercd to their names when they were called upon to come forward and pronounce whether or not the individual to be tried had been guilty of the reprehensible irregularity of transferring the sum of £5 6s Cd from a servant girl's box to his own pocket. If that prisoner had admitted his offence when he was brought before the Magistrates all this assemblage of merchants, bankers, auctioneers, commission agents' tradesmen, farmers, carters, bntchers, bakers' laborers, storemen, and others might have heen dispensed with, and he would have heen no worse off than he is now, but I think the thanks of the community are due to him for not doing so, as the result of his obstinacylias been that public attention has been called to the "imprgper" (I like to use a Judge's phrase whenewer I can) state of things that at present exists, and a recommendation has been mado through an official channel to the ell'cct that the sooner it ceases the better and more convenient for all concerned. It always affords me the greatest pleasure to notice the progress of our public works, and therefore I was exceedingly gratified to learn from the telegrams which appeared in the papers thp other day that two trucks laden with coal had heen successfully piloted over ihe Grey Bridge on their way from the B runner miue. It is not many months since this bridge completely collapsed, so that the colony may be congratulated on the fact that it is once more in position, and that a train consisting of one engine and two trucks can now he taken over it with impuuity. Three it has been clearly proved, are too many to cross it if a proper regard for tho safety of those •< on board" and the freight to be conveyed is displayed, but theu it was too much |to hope lor that such au engineering triumph ' ■as a bridge capable of carrying three trucks <

could be achieved, considering the limited amount of money that has been devoted to the construction of this line. Ifc is true that on the northern side of the river Grey a railway might have been made for about onefourth of the sum, but ifc was unreasonable to expect under the system of public works that has prevailed that a Hue capable of carrying 1 auy number of trucks, and which would have cost but a small sum of money should have been preferred to a much more expensive one, for which three loaded trucks are altogether too much. Instead of grumbling as some arc disposed to do, we ought to be onlv too thankful that the number of trucks tha'fc can be taken over the Grey Bridge all afc once is not limited to one. I don't think we treat our racehorses well in New Zealand.. It may be remembered that some years ago that magnificent mare Peeress, with which so many of us in Nelson are acquainted, was disqualified because the poor thiug who was so eager tp take her part iu the contest was debarred by her owner from starting, and now Fishhook, the winner of the Dunedin Cup, who tried his best to win, despite the efforts of his jockey, at an Otago meeting the other day has been subjected to a similar indignity. Why pass such a slur on the noble animals, whose disappointment at being debarred from what to them are the pleasure aud excitement of a well contested race is, I really believe, a.s great as that of their backers? They are honest enough, and therein they set •au example that might be followed with advantage by that professedly nobler animal — man. Put the saddle on the right horse Messieurs the Stewards; let the disgrace lie on the proper shoulders, and wheuever you find an owner • or a jockey playing such pranks, disqualify! him, order him off your course, and neyer allow him another chance of selling the public, upon whom, after all, depends the success, or failure of your race meetings. Racing' in New Zealaud used, in the years long goue by, to be conducted upon honest and honorable principles, but now— l Yes, what can we say of it now? '. '■■ I am fully expecting a row among the Welshmen iu this town, and I" think they would be quite justified in creating "one on account of the flagrant disrespect , that is shown to their patron saiufc David. To St. Patrick of Ireland, and St. Andrew of Scotland, we have long been in the. habit of doiug homage, ahd hav.e carefully closed our banking institutions whenever their anniversaries have come round, but to them our outward reverence for gentlemen of saintly memory has been limited. I am pleased to find, however, that a better and more creditable state of things is now being brought about, and that our own Euglish Saint George, who undertook and carried out the wonderful feat of slaying that mighty dragon, the representation of which performance I do so dearly like to see repeated on innumerable sovereigns— so long as they are my own property— is also to be honored by keeping holiday next Monday. I do wish they would treat St. David in the same respectful manner, and then I see no reason why we should not fish up another Saint to represent New Zealand, so that wc mav rest from our labors whenever his birthday, or the anuiversary of his canonisation, comes round. Wasn't there one to whom the first of April might be made sacred? I must look up my calendar and see. There is something cheerful to my ear in the word "inquest," so that whenever one is held I invariably attend if 1 possibly can. Therefore it was tbat I was present afc that of Weduesday last, although the subject of enquiry was only a fire. After -listening to a portion of the evidence the jury adjourned to view the body, or in other words the scene of the fire. Thinking that it might give me some importance in the eyes of a crowd of littte boys who stood gaping with astonishment at the sight of a dozen men solemnly poking about among the ruins, I attached myself to oue of the jurymen, aud together wc conducted our researches, for were not we, or rather was uot he, there to gain some enlightenment as to the cause of the fire? We poked our sticks through holes in the floor, carefully examined a small heap of melted buckles aud half-roasted stirrup irons, kicked over a little pile of cinders near the chimney to see if there were any remnants of rats or traces of wax matches which form their favorite food, and then sat down together ou a pile of bricks to finish our pipes, while the more inquisitive jurors were proceeding with their examination with a praiseworthy determination to gain more knowledge than they possessed before. "And now," said I to my juryman, "having carefully gone over the whole of the ruins, may I ask at what conclusion you have arrived?" Putting his hat well back ou to his hoad, and assuming a grave and judicial air, he Courteously replied, " You may. From the charred timber, the fused metal, and the general appearance of so much of the houses as are left, I gather that they were destroyed by fire." I was not prepared to dispute so reasonable a conclusion, so I went on to ask— '■' Don't you thiuk that you might have learned this much from the evidence without making yourself and your brother jurors the laughing stock of those naughty little boys who evidently regard you as lunatics ?" " Possibly," he replied, " but the law, I believe, requires that we should come out and stare afc the chimneys and peer into the ashes, and, besides, I am of opinion that, although some may be disposed to sneer at it, there is much to be said iu favor of the jury viewing the spot." " Indeed," said I, for I have always been a little sceptical on this point, " may I ask you what ifc is?" The hat went back just a little bit further, there was a sly wink of one oye, and a comical expression of countenance generally as he replied, " Why, don't you see it gives such a fine chance for having a smoke." This view of the question had never occurred to me before, but lam always open to conviction, and the utility of the custom having been so forcibly pointed out to me I shall never say another word against it — that is if I can help it. ° _*.