WARD-CHRISTIE CASE. IN REALITY A SIDE ISSUE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 390, 3 August 1889, Page 4

WARD-CHRISTIE CASE. IN REALITY A SIDE ISSUE.

Wki,l[n<!tox, July 30, The " Wanganui Chronicle " attributes the Government's overlooking Judge Waicl when appointing Judge Denniston to his action in the Christie case. The *' Post " yesteiday e\ening combats this successfully, by fallowing that the appointment was made in Jauuary, and Christie was not trie»l until April, contending that the Government could not have been influenced in January by what did not occur until April ; but knowing that they had treated Judge Ward moat unjustly in the former case, and would probably be called to account for it, they in the latter month eagerly seized an accidental opening for laising a false issue, causing a scandal afiecting the Judge, and trying to create an impression of his unh'tness for the judicial position. Evidently they had a strong personal prejudice against Judge NY aid. That is proved by the correspondence. It was owing to this prejudice "that he was not appointed to the Supreme Court Bench, and they had no fecuiple Avhen the opportunity occurred of trying to use subsequent events to, in some measure, jusfciiy actions which they (elt it would not be easy otheiwi^e to defend. The Christie- Ward correspondence, which I sent'you up early in the week, has now been reviewed by the "Evening Post,"' which seems in iavour of Judge Waid. "The correspondence has now been printed in full," cays this paper, "as piesentect to Pailitimenfe, and a carctul persual of ib shows that His Honor the J udge has very much the best of the argument. The Hon. Mmisteis do not figure well in it. Mr Hislop in particular shows up very badly. Indeed, his carping bitter oiiiciou&ness is conspicuous in almost every line. Both Ministcrsseem to have addressed the Judge in a, mannerenfchely unbecoming his position and theirs, andit herotaliatedwith excess-ive vigour he certainly had great provocation. The Ministeiial attempt to throw a plui on his chaiacter by insinuating that he was corruptly influenced in his conduct as a judge, must be pronounced to have entirely lailed. It \vaa a most improper attempt to make, and Judge Ward's vindication can be accepted as conclusive. The same can scarcely be saidrcgardinpthocounter-chargc against Mr Hislop of his having been influenced in his conduct as a Minister by his professional business relations ; aithough we will not go so iar as to say that the charge is absolutely established. It would have been better, howover, had Mr Hislop avoided giving grounds ior even a suspicion on the subject by refraining from interfering in a matter entirely outside his own. department. The correspondence towards the close is pretty spicy on both sides. The most amusing part of it is to find Mr Hislop lecturing Judge Ward on law, and laying: down its 'elementavy principles ' to i gentleman who is acknowledged to be one of the ablest members of his profession in the oolony."

H. M.s. Opal, Capt. Bosanquefc, has arrived at Apia (Samoa) from Havannah Harbour (Sandwich Island), New Hebrides, having left that locality, where she had been supervising native afkurs, for the Samoan Gioup early this month. Information received in town by a private letter from one of the officei's of theship statse that she Is to remain at Apia for some ten weeks longer, when she will be relieved by the British gunboat Swinger, now cruising in New Uuinea waters, the Opal moat, probably leaving for Sytluoy when iclicvocl.