The Evening Mail. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 736, 19 August 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1878.

Amongst the numerous matters that require attention at the hands of the Government is the .system—or rather the absence of system—adopted in appointing Justices of the Peace. At present men are not honored with the position because they are tit for it, nor are Justices of the Peace created in districts where they anmost required. A J.l\ should be a good colonist. He .should not only be an honorable man, but he should not be mixed up in business that would in tin: smallest degree trammel him in the execution of the duties of his position. This is why we would draw the line at publicans. There are as good men amongst publicans as there are amongst any other class ; but let them be never so worthy they have no right to sit upon the judicial bench. An hotelkeeper in an Otago up-country town has lately been elevated to the Bench ; why. nobody seems to know. We will correct ourselves—we should not have said that this publican has been elevated to the Bench, but rather that the Bench lias been lowered to him. Let us glance at the position which this publican-Justice will occupy. A man is found in the streets helplessly drank. The police take charge of him, and he finds himself in the morning confronting the Justice of the Peace. He recognises in him an old friend and boon companion, for whom be had "shouted"' and with whom he had caroused on the previous night. In his maudlin state it is not at all improbable that he may insult the Bench by renewing the acquaintanceship in a most obnoxious manner; or in his annoyance he might, perhaps very properly, twit the august personage whose -hands were saturated with beer but a few hours previously, but who is now talking law, with bring the cause of his degradation. What is then: a man in such a position mitrht not say to one who acted in the double capacity of "pot-boy" and Judge, more especially when it is remembered that he is him for that of which he has directly <>r indirectly been the cause, W-r say that to create a publican a J.P. is to prostitute one of the most useful tribunals attached to our Constitution and to bring it into contempt. We would recommend the gentleman referred to to shake oli' a position fraught with so many ditiiculf.es to him. Why. the police will—or rather should—control him, say at night, ami in the morning he can turn the tables upon the police by controlling them. .