ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 576, 10 October 1866, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

WB DO NOT IDENTITY OTTSSETjYES TN" ANT WAY WITH THS OPINIONS EXPSESSED BY OV& COEBBSPONDE-TTS. -# (TO THS EDITOR OV THB SOUTHLAND TIMES.) SrR, — Our local newspapers have been of late teaming with letters of one kind or another, certainly few of them worth reading. There is nothing shows the state of our trade and commerce in so doubtful a light as printing such a lot of unmeaning comments as flows from the pen of the ex-menagerie keeper, " Vetus," or the person feom. Birchwood who quotes Burns, and writes such confounded bad grammar, with his suggestions, &c. No one in the world I am sure would wish to take any praise away from what is due to the abilities of the writers of the several letters alluded to, and others not alluded to ,- at the same time, Mr Editor, I trust I may be excused for remarking that I consider the time, attention, and abilities of the aforesaid writers might be turned to better advantage to themselves and the general public by devoting them to what passes before us every day, instead of reviewing in a trashy style — that no one can understand — doings that happened in our * s Poliatic's" some three "years ago. But " I return to my subject" about the doings that pass before us every day. I wish particularly to allude to the business transacted at our Resident Magistrate's Court. There is no one in the Province has a greater respect for our R. M. than I haye, yet I must say that his decisions, in many cases, are unwise. I say so with all due respect ; the fault does not lie so much with him as in the bad laws, and the want of interest taken by the J. P.'s of the Province in the business transacted in the Resident Magistrate's Court. Any one may attend that Court day after day for months, and there will be no one sitting on the Bench to assist the Resident Magistrate. He is expected to be a lawyer, and conversant with all mercantile matters, laws of contracts, &c, &c. It is very rare, and almost an impossibility, to find a person to adjudicate who has an experience of mercantile matters, combined with trade usages and legal knowledge. I therefore say that it is a disgrace to the Province that those gentlemen who have J.P. attached to their names do not take their turn to sit on the Bench. In all the Australian Colonies, the Police Magistrate, who holds a similar position to our Resident Magistrate here, can only adjudicate on simple matters, and when any question comes before the Court of great importance, he is obliged to wait for the attendance of a second magistrate, or postpone the case till he gets one. Here the case is different. Matters concerning ships, freight, damage to cargo, &c, are polished off in the most easy manner by our worthy "magistrate — sometimes to the great disgust of some of the parties concerned — as in the schooner " Oak " affair. The case that came before the Court last week is one of particular hardship. 1 allude to Freeman's. I cannot help being of opinion that if there was a second magistrate on the bench, the verdiefc would have been different, and the ends of justice satisfied. Any one who has read the act must allow that it is a complete piece of bungling, worthy only of the senators of Southland. The penalty for selling liquors without a license is merely a small fine for the first offence, but for exposing them for sale, it is a fine " not exceeding £50, ajtd be imprisoned for any period not exceeding four months." By the above, Freeman could have been fined £1 and one hour's imprisonment, in place of which he was fined £10 and five day's imprisonment. One would think there was a great public wrong done, and that the finances of the State were in danger, when the Inspector of Police was so exceedingly sharp, in pitching on to Freeman, who lives three miles out of town, with no hotel or inn near him for more than a mile, when it is a well known fact the town is swarming with sly grog shops. Could you not publish the names of the Justices of Peace for the town ; and if they will not sit on the bench in their turn, let them resign; the inhabitants could then petition the Governor to appoint others in their place. As it is at present we want an addition to our roll of magistrates • we have amongst us many gentlemen of well known ability and business knowledge, who,T am sure, would willingly act. In other colonies the roll is revised and extended every year ; here it has not been revised to my knowledge for more than three years, and some who were on the list have left the Province. It is most desirable that we should have an efficient and working bench of magistrates. Yours, __c, Beaumont. luvercargill, Oct. 9.