The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1884. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1251, 11 October 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1884. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

The latent idea of Sir George Gi'py is to enable the people to elect Justices of the Peace. He has not succeeded in carrying the motion, but at the same time the division list shows that a good number supported itj and that it is not altogether a matter which finds no sympathy in the House. In our opinion to render Justices of the Peace elective would be a great mistake. J here are few positions with which men can be entrusted more important than the administration of justice. For instance, Justices of the Peace have power to send a man to gaol for 12 months, and it is evident that that power should not be placed in any man's hands who, first of all, does not possess a high sense of Justice, whose character is not uuimpeacbable, and who has not sufficient education, and intelligence to enable bim to read and understand legal sentences, If, through ignorance, Justices of the Peace commit an innocent man to gaol they inflict on him an injury which can never be repaired. Not only do they rob him of his liberty, but they also rob him of his good name. To ensure justice being administered in a fair and impartial manner it is necessary that only such as are fit by education, intelligence, and character should be appointed, and if their selection were left to the vote of the people we question whether the best men would be elected. The probabilities are that the unthinking, noisy, demogogue would be appointed in preference to the quiet, unassuming, but intelligent man, and the result would not be satisfactory. The present system is working very well, and we do not think it can be improved. <t» ■ SIR GEORGE GREY AND NEWSPAPERS. Sir Gbokge Grey still continues to persist in introducing liberal laws for New Zealand, but he succeeds in nothing. He tried to get our judges' term of office limited to five years but failed ; he tried to pass a measure for enabling newspapers to be sent free by post, and he also has brought forward a motion to the effect that the Government shall supply newspapers with telegrams free of charge. Newspapers neither expect nor desire these things. The only concession newspapers expected was the restoration of the free passes on the railways for their reporters, but this Sir George Grey does not bother his brains about, He does what people do not want, and bothers nothing about that which they do want. Newspapers have said very little about the stopping of free passes, but there is no doubt but that they did not like it. In all civilized countries newspaper reporters are given certain privileges. In point of law they have no right to them, but it has been the custom from time immemorial to afford facilities to reporters for collecting news. They are admitted to shows, entertainments, races, etc., free of charge, and in the Old Country it is the custom amongst private railway companies to give them a free pass, It was a backward step for the Government to take this privilege from the newspapers of New Zealand, and yet Sir George Grey does not bother his head about it, If the hon. gentlemen would set about getting this privilege restored to the Press, it would do some good to the newspapers, but the prpposal about supplying fres telegrams is absurd and not wanted, \