Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4483, 2 August 1875, Page 4

A telegram from Auckland conveys the sad tidings that Judge Beckham is no more. In our Auckland correspondent's letter of the 26th instant, it was announced that the Auckland District Court had been adjourned, owing to the " sudden indisposition of Judge Beckham, caused by an attack of bronchitis." It is assumed, therefore, that he must have succumbed to this attack. Mr. Beckham had a large circle of acquaintances outside of Auckland—the scene of his useful and conscientious labors for many years—by whom he was respected ,and esteemed ; respected as an up-x-ight judge, and esteemed as a courteous gentleman. His decease, at the ripe age of seventyone, will therefore be very generally regretted. Mr. Beckham was the oldest Kesident Magistrate in the colony. When the city of Auckland had no existence he was Magistrate of the district of Korararaki,' Bay of Islands. At a later date in the history of the colony he was appointed Judge of the District Court of Auckland, and although not a lawyer, his decisions gave general satisfaction ; they were less appealed against than those of other Judges possessed of legal knowledge; and even when appealed against, were nearly always upheld by the superior Court. He was known in Auckland as the just Judge. Another singular circumstance in connection with his official career, and oue which endeared him to what are- known under the collective head of the working man, was his mode of deciding in cases in which men sued for payment of wages. It. was his custom, when sitting in equity, to disregard technical points of law, but to ask the simple question, was this work done, and done properly ? If so, to give a verdict for plaintiff with costs. Up to within a short period of his death, Mr. Beckham appeared hale and hearty, discharging the functions of his office with the clear-sightedness and vigor of a much younger man. Those duties, it may be added, were by no means light. He was Kesident Magistrate and District Judge of Auckland, and Judge of the District Court of the Thames, where he held monthly sittings. Through Mr. Beckham's death, many persons in and out of Auckland will have to regret a sincere friend, and the Government a zealous and able officer.

Our telegraphic news from Dunedin not long ago showed that there had been » good deal of stir caused in society by certain criticism of one of the local papers on the mode of conducting business adopted in a particular bank. From our Dunedin' files to hand we take the criticism in question, which, if we mistake not, will be found to possess an interest in Wellington, where its subject is not unknown : "Recent experience of bank management in Dunedin has given occasion to a good many people for abuse. At all times, a bank manager has a difficult task to perfoam, and he is very often compelled to conduct impox-tant negotiations with extreme delicacy and caution. So much of his work, indeed, depends for its excellence upon tact, that the outside world has pretty well come to the conclusion that it takes about the same amount of special training to enable a man to manage a bank as a newspaper, to make a good balance as a leading article. We will not- go quite so far as this, but it, is notable that a certain tact, not to say a little decency and courtesy, is a quality much required by bankers. We leave our readers to fit the cap upon the bank to which we refer in our remarks, and merely note the fact that the utter absence of anything like ■ common courtesy has made itself uupleasantly felt in one. Courtesy is, of course, a wide word, and is certainly -insufficient to meet the exigencies of the present case. To say that all the rules which usually govern gentlemen in their intercourse have been deliberately set at defiance, both in the parlor of one bank, and in those not less important duties of the manager in the outside world, is to put it mildly. • For obvious reasons we decline to speak more plainly. It must suffice to put on record the fact that with ominous speed the business of one of our banking corporations is going to the wall, and that this is chiefly due to the freaks of an eccentric individual who seems at least as ignorant of his proper business, as he is of the routine of banking in a colony, or the customs of honest men. To damage the reputation of business men by a series of malicious falsehoods, and underhand and cruel statements, seems to be his delight. That he has escaped a thrashing is a miracle, and we should counsel him to beware how he ventures to display his vices amongst a less orderly and law abiding community. The power entrusted to a banker is not given him to indulge his personal animosities, or pay off his private grudges. There can be no doubt that steps will speedily be taken to remove this 'old man of the sea,' who has seated himself bo firmly on the shoulders of the business community of Dunedin.. We' have been accustomed to regard a bank as a bridge to carry commerce. There are bridges and bridges, however, and in particular instance it ia cloar that a crash is imminent. We.desire indignantly to repudiate the vile and untrue.statements that have been freely circulated from the centre to which we refer concerning the commercial unsoundness of Dunedin. ' We expect that the shareholders will not fail to express their deep resentment at a line of conduct which cannot fail to depreciate the valuo of their property, if it does not ultimately destroy it altogether. In the name qf the public, we put on record

an indignant remonstrance against this outrageous evil, and we trust that our warning will have the effect of saving the residue of the property of the shareholders from wanton destruction, and stopping the downward course of this institution before its last constituent has left it."

In the House of Representatives the other day Mr. Ingles asked a question of Government as to precautions necessary to be taken in importing horses from Victoria, where a virulent disease, had broken out amongst them. It seemed that the only information on the subject was afforded by a brief telegram, but from our Australian exchanges we find some further particulars. A correspondent of the Geelong Advertiser reports :—" Horses are still dying in great numbers, and the plague appears to be spreading slowly, but surely, to all the surrounding districts. For a time it was confined to. Mount Hope, Durham Ox, and the Terricks ; but now it has extended as far as Rowan's waterholes and the Serpentine, and where it will stop time alone will tell. It is a fact worthy of note that in different districts they show different symptoms, but in nine' cases out of ten the result is the same—death. The fact of this being so prevalent just now had a most disastrous effect upon the Terrick ploughing match, as I am informed that some good ploughmen had their horses either dead or bad, while others were afraid to take theirs, as they say the disease is contagious."

In our telegraphic column we give the opinions of three Auckland provincial newspapers on the Constitutional Bills introduced by the Government. We have not received any similar telegrams from other parts of the colony ; but we may remark that in Otago opinion _at present is divided as to the policy of referring the question to the country. The Otago Daily Times of the 28th ultimo has a very able leader urging delay; whether its opinions have changed, since perusing the Government measures, we cannot at present say. The Bruce Herald goes in strongly for abolition, and is of opinion that it would be better to settle the question this session.

EuEQUENT complaints reach us of the inadequate way in which Lambton-quay is lighted at night. Following the curve of the quay from the police station, there is no municipal gas lamp until we get near the Club-house, a distance of about a quarter of a mile. The result of which is that nightly collisions take place, resulting in an outcrop of ill-temper and personal inconvenience to those of our fellowcitizens who are compelled to traverse this part of our city at night. We have no doubt that our city fathers, on the matter being placed before them in the proper form, will promptly obviate this great public inconvenience, by the provision of a sufficient number of suitable gas lamps.

The second report of the directors of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand, as read at the general meeting of shareholders in Dunedin, was most satisfactory. Considering the competion for deposits at high rates of. interest within the period covered by the report, the fact that the deposits amounted to £182,707 17s. 10d., showed that this banking institution was wanted, and that it commanded the confidence of a large section of the public. The profit and loss account showed a balance of £4732 18s. 10d., which was carried forward to next half-year's account. The Colonial Bank is "about to establish a London agency;— a step undoubtedly in the right direction.