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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2560, 4 June 1881, Page 2

Thebe are a number of men in New Zealand who will carry their heads higher to-day than they have ever done in their lives before. In another column will be found a list of some sixty gentlemen who were gazetted yesterday as Justices of the Peace. May they wear their blushing honors with becoming dignity. No doubt the great majority of them are as fully entitled to the honor as those who had previously been created magistrates. In thus adding so largely to the unpaid magistracy, the Ministry, doubtless, have two objects. Unquestionably the first in importance is the support it will secure them at the next general election. If any of the sixty wavered in their support or opposition to the Government the “New Zealand Gazette” of Friday has convinced thorn that Mr Hall and his colleagues are the men for New Zealand. Well,the Ministry have only followed the practice of their predecessors. Stafford, Fox, Vogel, and Grey had not been insensible to the support which was to be had from a wise exercise of the advice to His Excellency to enrol Mr So-and-So in the ranks of the “ Great Unpaid.” But Mr Hall has eclipsed all his predecessors in office. Sixty at a time ! He has out-Heroded H erod. Verily, a J.P ship is becoming cheap

from being rendered too common. The present Ministry has gone a trifle too far. It is obrious that if every second man you meet in the street —and it is coming that way --is a magistrate, then the pride of the thing will be greatly diminished. Hints have been thrown out of considerable reductions in the judicial staff of the colony—that several of the Resident Magistrates are to be removed, and Justices of the Peace aro to do the work. The Ministerial Press, no doubt, will endeavor to impress upon the public that this is the actual reason for the appointments. If so, justice will be found dear at the price.