THE CHARGE AGAINST MR. KNOAKES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5525, 11 December 1878, Page 2

THE CHARGE AGAINST MR. KNOAKES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sib, —I desire to correct an error in your report of a case which was heard in the Police Court yesterday, by which I am represented as having stated to the Bench that in the event of other proceedings being taken I should apply, under the 23rd section of the Justices of the Peace Act, for costs and a certificate of dismissal. This is arrant nonsense. There was nothing whatever said about costs with reference to this part of my application. What I did point out to the Bench was thatunder the23rd section of the Justices of the Peace Act the magistrates, having dismissed the information on its merits, were bound, on being required so to do, to make an order of dismissal, and to give the defendant a certificate of such dismissal; and I stated that I wished it to be clearly understood that the defendant did claim his rights under the Act mentioned, in order that there might be no misunderstanding in the event of proceedings being taken to enforce such rights. I may add that every report of this case, not only in your own paper, but in all the other papers published in Wellington, is full of inaccuracies. I will not enter into particulars to show this, but will merely add that it is to be regretted that while the Press of Wellington furnish, as a rule, very meagre and exceedingly inaccurate reports of the proceedings in the Courts of Law, and leave entirely unreported tho arguments of counsel, an altogether undue prominence is invariably given to any little difference of opinion between the Bench and the Bar, or between the counsel engaged in the various oases. Your report of this case furnishes a striking example of this, and is calculated to produce an altogether incorrect impression of what actually did take place.—l am., &0., W. B. Edwards. [if?; Edwards is angry, and consequently not quite reasonable. It has been the desire of the proprietors of the STsw Zealand Times that the reports of the proceedings of the Courts of Law should be full and accurate ; no trouble is spared to effect this purpose, and tho success of the exertions of our reporters has been admitted so generally that we can afford to allow Mr. Edwards to hold his own particular opinion on tho point without argument.—Bn. N. Z. Times].