The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1886. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ACT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1546, 24 August 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1886. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ACT.

We have received a copy of the "New Justices of the Pence Act, and Sad that it places Temuka in a worse position as regards Justices of the Peace than it was before. We hoped that the Chairman of the Arowhenna Town Board would under it b* a, Justice of the Peace, and that thos a wont long felt would be supplied, but we find now that the clause under which Chairmen of Town Boards would be entitled to be placed on the Commission of the Peace has been expunged. The Chairman of the Arowbemia Town Boad will not therefore be a J.P. Clauses 20 and 21 of last year's Act have been repealed, tinder; these all the Justices living within a radius of five miles were bound to meet on the second Monday in November every year, and decide on V rota for attendance at the Court. This has all been cbaDged. No Justice living at a greater distance then three miles from the Courthouse can now be called upon to attend ; only such as live within three miles are bound to act, and these are to be called upon io alphabetical order by the Clerk of the Court. The power to form a suitable rota has been taken away from the Justices themselves, and the Clerk of the Court has been vested with authority to summon Justices in rotation as he requires them. If any Justice neglects to attend on two successive occasions the Clerk of the Court must report his absance to the Minister of Justice, and if he cannot give a reasonable excuse for not attending he will be ft'Mck off the roll of Justices. Membsrsif Puliamertt, Doctors, Civil Servants, Police Inspectors, and Barristers, who may b« Justices of the Peac» will not be required to attend at all; they are altogether exempt from duty, so they will only bo ornamental Justices. It comes to this, therefore, as regards Temuka. There are only two Justices living witbiu three miles of the Court, namely, Mr A.M. Clark and Mr K. F. Gray, and it isdoubtful whether Mr Clark is in reality within the radius. Now, Mr Clark is frequently absent from home, and Mr Gray's business takes him to all parts of the district. If Mr Clark wants to go away to the North .Island, or wherever hit business takes him, it is not reasonable to expect that he will stay at home to attend Court, neither can it be expected of Mr Gray that he will refrain from attending the Geraldine, Wasbdyke, Winchester,, or Tiraaru sales if Called upon by the Clerk of the Court to sit on the Bench. And yet the law does not empower the Clerk of the Court to summon any of tbe other Justices ; neither are they bound to attend. Hitherto they were bound to attend, so long as they lived within a radius of five miles, bat that has been changed. Temuka is, therefore, as badly off as ever, it has in reality no Justice of the Peace on whose presence depen-, dence can be placed. We have heard that] a large landowner living near Temuka abont to. be added to the list of J.P.s, butj if ha is not within throe, miles of the! Courthouse it will benoase. Adoctorjl a barrister, or a civil servant would be noj nse, for the Clerk of the Court would havel no power to call upon them. They could, i no doubt, attend if they liked, but no one > could compel them. We bayo frequently pointed oat the inconvenience which has been caused through the want of Justices, but whether we ««■• * *«ffi;ei-'; f

ting any more of them or not is a matter on which we huve no kriov ledge. At any rate the Chairman of the Arowhenua Town Board will not bo a J.P. in virtue of hie office, and we icgrcl it, for thus we have been deptived of having another Justice of the Peace within roi.cli when required. ——————^——^—i———