WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2843, 26 March 1878, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

1 (HIBALD'S COBBSSFOKOIinr.) Saturdajr. The Post, to-night, thai lammariset the charges made by Mr Barton regarding the police and B.M. Court here, and ■ays: That they are to serious that they must be fully inquired into, and that he is bound to substantiate them if he we. They are as follow:—1. That a complete reign of terror had existed in the poUoe force, and that a certain policeman, who possessed authority, had, ia cases when prisoners were looked up in a cell, *one in, handcuffed them, and then struck them with his, fists,.and kicked them in abiutal manner. 2. That other members of the force stood by, afraid to interfere, because the officer so acting was in authority. 3. That on the cifil side of the Court poor suitors wen subjected to Vexatious delays and ofc stractions by the officers of the Court, and that almost insurmountable difflcul*

ties are placed in the way of their obtain* ing justice. That, as illustrative of this, summonses arc frequently not served, the bailiff alleging that he could not find the defendant. That these pl?as were sometimes false, and that, as evidence of this, a case had occurred in which the. bailiff en-; trusted with a summons was seen talking to the defendant on the wharf, the latter being on the point of departing by a steamer tor another place, yet the bailiff afterwards fclsely declared that he had not serred the summonses: because he had not been able to tee the defendant. 4. That a system existed, by which commissions were paid to certain officials, in order that moneys might be more speedily recovered, and that in one instance a defendant paid a certain Court official 8s a week lo keep an execution off his house.