The Standard. (PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY.) SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1874.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 150, 21 March 1874, Page 2

The Standard. (PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY.)

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1874.

“ We shall sell to no man justice or right: We shall deny to no man justice or right: We shall defer to no man justice or right.”

The last and only new thing out in connection with Hood’s defalcations in the matter of the Education rates, is that the Provincial Government (or probably one of the Treasury subordinates) has stopped some £3 odd from Mr. Meldbum’s salary as Inspector of Sheep !!! It will be remembered that Mr. Meldbum, in conjunction with Mr. Thelwall, became security for the Collector, and on Hood being arrainged before the Resident Magistrate, these gentlemen very naturally demurred to pay the amounts of their respective bonds until the deficit was correctly ascertained, and they refrained from prosecuting, as the Government took charge of the case, and telegraphed to to that effect to Dr. Nesbitt. The bonds w ere ultimately redeemed ; but Hood is still at large, and unprosecuted. The ends of justice are defeated ; the Exchequer is robbed of its due ; society has one more rascal than it should have, and Mr. Meld bum (simply because the Treasury have the whip hand of him), has a paltry £3 deducted from his salary, on account of certain law expenses incurred in getting the bonds paid up. This matter is too contemptible for us readily to believe that it is anything more than a piece of subordinate officiousness. Not long since, while this matter was still sub judice, the Treasury Accountant took upon himself, not only unauthorizedly, but unknowingly by the Provincial Treasurer, to inform the Inspector of Sheep that unless the amount of his bond was paid forthwith, his salary—then some four months overdue—would be stopped. AV e have a vivid recollection of an equally peremptory demand being made by the same official upon the sureties of the previous Collector (who threw up the appointment in disgust) for. an immediate payment of their fronds, because why p Not that the said Collector had peculated the rates, but that he had resigned his appointment! We believe this matter will be

brought before the Provincial Council, when a searching investigation -will, no doubt, take place; but, in the meantime, we ask the Executive to protect its officers and the public from a repetition of this unseemly and irresponsible system of Personal, Departmental, Government, and, if Shylock gets the “ due and forfeit of his bond,” let Portia see that he have “ nothing but the penalty.”