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GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE.

(From the Napier Daily" Telegraph, July 23.) A report is going tho rounds that the services of Dr. Ormond as Resident Magistrate of Wairoa have been dispensed with by the'Government. Dr. Ormond has held the. appointment nine years, and if he has not shod much lustre on the Bench, ho has proved himself to bo a conscientious, painstaking magistrate, and an upright man. We trust the report is not true, but wo fear from tho system of terrorism which has been inaugurated by the..present Ministry that there- will bo found too much foundation for the rumor. Not many weeks back tho Ministerial organ at Welling--ton openly suggested the propriety of the Government dismissing Mr. Konriqk, the Resident Magistrate of , Gisborne, as a punishment for an error of judgment, and as a seasonable warning to tho Bench. We are only, surprised tho suggestion was not immediately carried out. No doubt Mr. Konriok made a serious blunder, rind put tho country and the defendant to very heavy expenses by committing Mr, Hardy tor trial at Wellington for a trivial- case of assault that could bavo been dealt with off-hand ; but if every magistrate [is to sit oh the bench with the fear of instant dismissal hanging over him for every mistaken judgment, the purity- of the Bench would soon be sullied. It would not ho quite safe to give judgment against any powerful supporter of the Government. Wo have had of late, oven at Napipr,.a shadow of the state of things that might bo brought'about by tho knowledge that » magistrate merely held

his appointment at the pleasure .of tlie Ministry of tho day. No terrorism of- the kind would have auy effect on a -courageous magistrate strong iu. the conviction of the justice of his : decisions, but all men, and especially men whoso solo living is dependent on their appointments, might .not be : equally proof temptation to. do the-bidding of those who could injure them.. The Rcsldout ab Napier, very judiciously, took no notice ; whatever of a'remark that was made by counsel, but the observation did not fall unheeded by others in the Court. It may be tint there ; was no, intention,ou the part of counsel to • be disrespectful to the Bench, nor the slightest .desire to show that the Ministerial influence .he possessed would bo exerted prejudicially towards the Resident Magistrate. The effect of tho remark on the audience was, however, that the decision of the Bench would be reported to the Government because it was adverse to the cause of the counsel in question. It was not many weeks after this that Mr. Beetham received notice of a speedy removal to another part of the colony. .Now, wo have no intention of connecting the almost threat by counsel on . the one hand, and the action ; of the Government on the other, but we ; take leave to think that tho circumstance is peculiar. On the plea of economy, the Ministry may choose to dismiss every magistrate in the country, amalgamate the offices of District Judge and Resident Magistrate, and give to all petty suitors justice’s justice.- -While this course would provide a splendid opportunity for rewarding friends and supporters, it would be most conveniently . cloaked by the plea of economy. The Government have intimated that this is their intention, but with the one exception of Wellington, we do not know that it has been carried out. With respect to tho reported dismissal of Dr. Ormond, it would lie hard to say how the Court business could be satisfactorily performed without a Resident .Magistrate, • Justices of the-peace are scarce at Wairoa; in fact wo only know of one whose services at all could be reckoned on. Another magistrate will have to be appointed, bub the po.st is worth so little that it may be doubted whether; with all the failings his worst enemies could lay to his charge, any better man could be found than Dr. Ormond.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18780727.2.18

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5408, 27 July 1878, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
657

GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5408, 27 July 1878, Page 3

GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5408, 27 July 1878, Page 3

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