A REIGN OF TERROR.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2341, 17 September 1880, Page 3

A REIGN OF TERROR.

The bye-laws at Ashburton arc at present causing quite a commotion there, and the police arc combining with the Council to rigidly enforce their due observance. Only the other day a well-known local solicitor who had been retained by a resident charged with a breach of the bye-laws, found himself in an unexpected predicament. 'fin's gentleman on arriving at the Courthouse found he had a few minutes to spare before the Court sat, and getting on his horse again he made a “ bee line ” for the Railway Station, to meet the train then coming in. On his return to the Courthouse he found the sergeant of police awaiting him with a summons for breach of hyc-law, number so-and-so, for riding across the footpath. The lawyer protested against the “ sharp practice ” of the police, and became both defender and defendant when he entered the Court. A day or so after this a J.P., whose services on the local Bench arc frequently in requisition, was summoned for allowing his horse to get on the footpath while ho was talking business in an office close by. The J.P. appeared in person at the Court, fully admitted the charge, paid his os like a man, and then took his seat by the side of the Magistrate who had just lined him and with whom lie shook hands. A local wag writing to the “ Ashburton Guardian ” wants to know who is safe ? and adds that he shall be afraid to light his pipe in the street, for fear that the act should be construed into “lighting a fire within the Borough, other than in a properly constructed fire-place.” Ho says a pipe- may be a properly constructed fire-place, but how about a cigar?