The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4580, 8 September 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1883.

Of late wo have had ample evidence that there is something radically wrong with oar system of punishing criminal offenders. Our gaol management appears to be somewhat faulty; our Resident Magistrates are inclined towards hurried judgments—at least as far as one is concerned, and that in the capital of the colony—and our police force, taken as a whole, requires "regeneration. In the last case, recently occurring instances afford too much proof of the eagerness of the force to secure convictions, and although the zeal displayed may be coma mendable from one point of view, viz., public security against the raids of evilly disposed persons, it may be carried too far in a direction likely to trammel the liberty of the subject. The preservation of law and order in a community is not a matter requiring stringent or severe measures. The bent of human nature is to err in the direction where too much restriction is placed upon it, and prevention is secured by arduous watching and I undue severity only in exceptional cases. It would appear reasonable that persons paid to do certain things should make their duty a study, and although one extreme may exist in perfunctoriness, another may be reached by over zeal, and a frequently existent wish on the part of vain man to strain for effect. It seems time that more attention should be paid to the subject matter we refer to, or personal liberty will be a very questionable matter indeed. It is, of course, im- ; possible to lay down clearly defined rules to be applied in cases of emergency, and Resident Magistrates, as well as police officers, are supposed to —or should—be endowed with a trifle more than the ordinary modicum of common sense, but recent events would remove such an impression. Such institutions as law and justice would—as far as this colony is concerned —require a little purification. The preliminary administration of justice being faulty, ie is almost to be expected that its ultimate carrying out would not be by any means perfect. This we see exemplified in the case of the Dunedin gaol, where most iniquitous proceedings have been carried out. We read of Visiting Justices adding sentence to sentence for gaol offences in a most unwarrantable manner. We have been shown how the gaolerand warders were by collusion interfering with the liberty of the unfortunates placed within their grasp. Even the doctor of the prison seemed to be corruptible, and altogether the report of tbe Commision appointed to enquire into the complaints made regarding the working of tbe institution showed the existence of a disgraceful state of things. The head of the Justice department should have it forced lon his mind that these matters over Lwhich he has control require immediate ■ttentioß, and every enquiry should be I oftde to ascertain if similar abuses exist in other penal establishments in the ColoAy. Too much praise cannot be awarded to Inspector Hume for his action in connection with the Dunedin Gaol enquiry, and we must hope that the result of it will be the purification of our penal system. It is somewhat unfortunate that our Bench, Police force, and prisons, should almost simultaneously come under review in a somewhat unfavorable manner, but we must hope that no further cause of enquiry or complaint will arise in connec- | tion with these important institutions.