MR SAUNDERS AND THE JUDGES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1068, 8 May 1882, Page 2

MR SAUNDERS AND THE JUDGES.

(iSHBURTON MAIL.)

Mr Saunders addressed about thirty elector at Ashburton on Thursday evening, Mr Gilmour in the chair. His speech was a reiteration of the statements already made by Mr Saunders regarding his political opinions, at the conclusion thereof the candidate invited questions. Mr Williams asked Mr Saunders if he would explain how it was he had been sentenced to six months' imprisonment in Nelson for advocating the cauße of the worknig man ]

Mr Saunders replied that the facts were that some 22 years ago, a Mr Travers received, in return for a political service, the appointment of a District Judge in Nelson. Under the terms of office the acceptance of the appointment debarred Mr Travers from any mivate practice as a lawyer, However, to evade this, Mr Travers took a partner, and the real result was that Mr Travers sat and adjudicated on the cases brought by his partner, and in tho issuo of which, Mr Travers was_ of course interested. In one instance, this became too glaring, a judgment being given in direct contradiction of the evidence, and a report thereof appeared in the paper making the evidence to appear a 6 bearing out the verdict. He, knowing Mr Travers had reported the caße, wrote to the paper pointing out that Mr Travers had been Judge and reporter both, and that the evidence was misrepresented. As a result a libel action was instituted and was heard before Judge Johnston. This was the first occasion on which that gentleman visited Nelson, and the night of bis arrival—that before the trial-he dined with one of Mb (Mr Saunders) opponents, and breakfasted with another the morning of the trial, He was thus in very bad company, and consequently no doubt well informed on one side of the case before trial commenced. The sentence had not been in existence many days before petitions were gfit up for his release, and as a result lie was liberated without tl)e' government even referring the petitions to the Judgp who had tried him; He mjgjit say hJB time in the prison was the gayest he ever had h) his life, for during that time he received 347 visits from friends and sympathisers.