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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4411, 10 May 1875, Page 4

A great deal of fuss has been lately made in Northern papers about a certain Sergeant King, of the Armed Constabulary, who, it appears, was wrongly convicted by a Board of Officers at Tauranga, and we republished a few days ago an article from the Herald, in whicli his case was made a handle to declaim against the tyranny of the Native Office. The sergeant was imprisoned wrongfully ; of that there is no doubt; but in stating a case of this kind, it would be as well if leading journals were to acquaint themselves with facts before generalising on surmises. The matter stands thus. Sergeant Kino, a man of {food character, forgot himself so much as to publicly

insult his officer. This may seem a venial offence, but in reality, where discipline is concerned, it is a very bad one; and, whether we call our armed force constabulary, or police, or soldiers, discipline in it must be strictly kept up for the good of the community at large. In accordance with the Armed Constabulary Act of 1871, the officers commanding the district summoned a board of officers, two of whom belonged to the militia, the third only being in the constabulary. Sergeant King was found guilty and sentenced, under the 20th section of the Act, to be reduced from his rank, to be fined five pounds, and to be imprisoned for three months, with hard labor. The three last words, though there were other technical objections to the sentence, invalidated it at once, for the 20th section provides only for imprisonment, and not for imprisonment with hard labor. Such are the bare facts of the case, and whatever blame is to be imputed to the officers composing the board for their ignorance of the law, it is absurd to throw any upon higher authorities, especially as the proceedings of such courts are not liable to revision by any superior officer. Sergeant King was wrongfully convicted ; but that does not in any way palliate the offence of which he was apparently guilty, and which, in no body of men arrayed together under the bonds of discipline, could be passed over without injury to the rest of the force.