AUCKLAND NOTES.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2163, 9 December 1875, Page 2

AUCKLAND NOTES.

FBOII OUB SPECIAL COBBESPONDENT. The Auckland Police Court. The official work transacted in the Auckland Police Court has from time to time been the subject of public comment, and I must say that in very many cases strictures which the press were compelled to pass upon various informations laid, and the cases following the same, were well timed and in most instances to the point. The object of the present despatch is not so much to review any of the judicial matters connected with the Court as to direct public attention to the departmental portion. Few of your readers are aware of the many blunders which are made in the sending of prisoners to gaol, or the reported loose method followed by those entrusted with the carrying out of the details ; but when I give the public a few instances to show what I consider requires explanation and amendment, you will feel that I should be wanting in public duty to withhold the facts. Some time ago an unfortunate fellow offended against one of the laws, which necessitated his incarceration for a period of three months. The sentence was duly recorded and the warrant of committal made out. The prisoner was being conveyed to Mount Edep, and the policeman who escorted him in looking over the warrant rejoiced that society was to get rid of him for six mouths, and informed the prisoner accordingly. You may judge of the prisoner's astonishment after hearing his punishment pronounced to be officially informed that lie had to undergo double hard labor and punishment; but so it was; the escort conveyed the criminal to Mount Eden, and with the authority detailing his punishment. On the following mo.rniDg Mr Elwel, who was the individual so sentenced, applied to the gaoler as to the duration of his captivity^ and found that the policeman's statement was correct. The gaoler pro-' mised an inquiry, and the result was the transmission of another warrant with the corrected amount of punishment. I have most reliable information that besides other similar instances detailed, the Police Court Clerk sends up simply "memos" signed by himself, that so and so were sentenced to 21 or to 48 hours' for drunkenness, and will send up the warrants to-morrow. In other cases prisoners remanded were similarly dealt with, whilst in numerous cases tho bodies of remand warrants and ordinary wai'rants also are frequently transmitted to Mount Eden without the body of. the documents giving the details of the crime. In others although the details are .filled in the work is done in a most slovenly official manner. Such a mode of procedure cannot be allowed to persons whose stroke of a pen may frequently and illegally deprive one of the Queen's subjects of his liberty, and the sooner such novel conduct on the part of the department is brought under public review the better, not only for the officials themselves and those offending against the law, but for the public, as when public monies are paid for public services the least which the employer expects is a" faithful discharge of the trusts confided to his servants' care and management. Some persons arc of opinion that the Clerk of the Police Court is " overworked." If such be the case the . sooner the General Government provide additional clerical assistance the better ; far better dq,so than allow the numerous, documents requiring signature to be filled in by- those who go there to transact public business, as seems to be generally adopted at present.