New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5113, 13 August 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 1877.

Plenty of confidence, vulgarly called “ cheek,” is an excellent quality for a practising barrister to possess,'“and we have amongst us at all events one gentleman of the long robe who is not wanting in this direction. Mr. G. E. BABTONIias presented a petition to Parliament praying “that a committee of the whole House will inquire into the truth of the allegations set forth ; and that, if oh such inquiry it be found,-that ,justice has, notbeen , administered impartially and without fear, favor,,or affection} ;in the ; Supreme Court at Wellington, in any of the respects set forth, the House may present an address to his Excellency the Governor, praying that Chief Justice Pbendebgast and, Mr. Justice Richmond may ‘be removed from the Bench of the Supreme Court of . New Zealand.” Upon what basis the learned gentleman proceeds we are not aware, for we havenot his “facts” before us ; but from what we know of the character of 'the' Judges impugned, and of the impartial manner in which they administer the law, we venture to prophesy that when the matter is, inquired . into., it will be found to be something -very trivial. It. will be within the recollection of; our readers that Mr. Babton has on more than pne occasion been at logger-: heads with the Bench, and has always got the worst of it. - Indeed; iitis not,too much; to say that he owes a good deal to leniency of the Covlrt, who'have given him about' as much latitude as we ever saw a Judge give to a counsel, and it certainly does appear to us most unbounded “cheek” for this same gentleman to pray that the Chief) Justice and Mr. Justice Richmond be removed from the--Bench, • unless he, can substantiate very grave charges, which we cannot help saying we do not believe he can do. We may, of course, be mistaken; but we do not think it at all likely ithat we are. A letter has been published, in whlch our learned friend says that his complaints against the Judges do relate to grave matters; but ho. does i not ; tell us what they are, so that we cannot judge in what their gravity, consists. - .As w;e have said before;. we believe the result of the inquiry, if granted, will prove that’.-.Mr, Babton has made. a great mistake. Not that we suppose he would consciously do wrong in ;the, matter,- but-we know-him; to be snappish to the Judges in Court, and of what may be termed a “cantankerous” turn of mind. He is a good lawyer and a clever advocate, who has de,-.; servedly got into excellent practice; but it' does syppear to us that he is apt to say and do rash things, and that in the matter of;his “grave complainij” against.two of. thq highest legal functionaries in the colony the probabilities are that his temper has .outrpn,,. his judgment. If -an unfounded “ charge has 1 been brought against two of the most respected, Judges;; of -the Supreme! Court: by a practising barrister of that Court, the latter ought certainly to be called to account pretty severely. Respect for the administrators of the law is a marked characteristic of the people .of,this colony, and, the high personal character of 1 its Judges has contributed not a little to cement this feeling. , In. the face-of this it is somewhat staggering to' find a leading legal practitioner attacking the Chief Justice apd Mr.r Justice,RjOTMQifmin the way; he is doing, and actually seeking to have them-removedfrom Ahejßeriohsi.i In effecting this the learned gentleman will, we think’; have some. difEoiffty ;'hu£!'we' should not bo at all surprised to find .the, tables turned,- ‘and-the Judged Coming dowtil upon Mr., Babton with..consider-, able' force. As we before said} tVO' may be mistaken,;,, and, we. ai;e,not.ifr f full r pps-. 'session of ■ the alleged “ facts” ' upon which the petition is based ; but the primq facie evidence beforejis, although but,,meagre, seems to bear out the idea that- a mountain is being sought to,.be, made: dnfi Of'- ai- molehill, t’afid- that the ingenious artificer who is at work on it-is likely to come to grief before he, has ‘finiahCd. .a0:".;.a.:-.*..w I ' v '