PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 958, 6 July 1881, Page 2

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1881.

Some of the doings of our central Government, are, at once, fearful and wonderful. The Premier bases his objection to granting sittings of the Supreme Court in Gisborne, because the business emanating from this “one horse, somnolent township ” —as some call it — will not repay expenses. Whether that is so or not we are not in a position to state, having no suitable statistics before us; but, if the Government will work up the question, we think there will be little difficulty in arriving at a result that will preponderate largely in our favor. Leaving out the question as to whether it is a good or a bad sign, we incline to the belief that the criminal business alone —for which the Colony is directly chargeable—taken from Poverty Bay during the last three years, will tot up in expensiveness to the Government, more than the cost of a branch of the Supreme Court permanently situated here. And it is not only the question of direct saving or profit the Government may make by the transaction. There is still another, and that is the direct saving and profit that the district will save to the pockets of litigants in the various civil businesses from which there can be no hope of escape. So long as men remain human (and there does not appear to be any sign of radical alteration) crime must be punished, and wrongs—fancied and real—must be redressed; and these are powerful arguments in favor of the Government acceding to the request just placed before the House. But it is really a serious calculation to be entered upon by any one wishing to take any action in our Supreme Law Courts. There are very few who, having had experience in either the civil or criminal side, care to take the initiative. I’he Government expects a man to follow up crime to the ultima thule of punishment, at his own expense ; and, possibly, as in some cases we know of, not even caring to assist him at that. He may place himself in the invidious position of doing a duty which, properly, belongs to the police, while on his shoulders fall the expense and odium of failure. How is it possible that the Government can calculate on the assistance of the people, in carrying out matters pertaining to the common welfare, if it does not hold out an indemnity in case of failure, and protection against loss? It may be a matter for congratulation that the Premier of the Colony has stated in the Peoples’ Legislative Hall, that the amount of criminal and civil business in Poverty Bay will not warrant his Government undertaking the expense of the permanent establishment of the Supreme Court here; but if argument, based upon statistics and experience are necessary to fortify the application, we can, without much reflective disgrace, refer to the judicial enunciations that, from time to time, emanate from their Honors, the Judges. And not only have the Judges remarked on it, but sections of the Press have also noticed the liberal contributions that this district has made to the quarterly assize calendars of Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington. We join with those who most regret that this is so ; but it cannot be helped. Recently some score or so of our settlers had to remain for between two and three weeks in Napier, on criminal and civil business. There are others of a like nature coming off in the Supreme Court, at Auckland ; and at the next sittings in Wellington there are others on the record. If “our member” cared about making the most of the meal placed before him, he would have worked up these cases, so as to have showed the Government that he knew as much about the matter as they did ; but, as it is one merely of expense, we doubt not that it will be found cheap* r to send a Judge twice a year to Gisborne. than to pay for the deportation of many scores of persons hence to many places in the Colony. And the same may be said of the parsimony of the Government in discontinuing the sitthigs of the Resident

Magistrate’s Court at Tologa Bay. It appears to be a feature of the Government, that no sooner does an experiment begin to work well, than the exegesis of some ministerial or other political manoeuvre bursts up all the good that has been done. The same argument as that adduced above, holds good with regard f o the R.M.’s Court at Tologa Bay. But in this latter case we have assistance at hand; for it appears that at the last sittings of the Court held there, on the 23rd June, there were no less than 19 criminal and quasi-criminal, and 31 civil cases disposed of; and yet, in the face of all this, the Government has issued its fiat that the fast populating district of the East Coast is to be practically ignored, in having taken from it institutions to the support of which most of us are content to pay the cost. We trust some better reasons than those already advanced will be given for this remarkable culpability on the part of the Government.