The Wairarapa Daily FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3910, 11 September 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1891.

Justices of the Peace, in this district,i are popularly supposed to be divided into two varieties, the Sheep and the Goats. The former are regarded by many as the wrong sort, and the latter as the right sort. The former are wont to listen to such evidence as may be submitted to them, and to give a verdict in accordance with the weight of it. The latter are supposed to act the Goat, are good natured, charitable minded individuals, always ready to oblige a friend, and who do not bother themselves much about law or evidence, but prefer to help a lame dog over a style by taking some specious or ingenious yiew of the subject of an enquiry. If a man, for instance, has done wrong, he should not be punished unless his intention be demonstrated to be criminal, there is no proof as to his intentions, therefore give him the benefit of the doubt. For a long time past, in this town, it has been usual when a man gets into trouble to forecast his fate, not by the gravity of evidence that may be adduced against him, but by the composition of the Bench. If the Sheep predominate, his chances are at a discount, but if the Goats are in equal strength, then an acquittal becomes a matter of almost absolute certainty. It is perhaps worth while drawing public attention to this anomalous state of things, because it is extremely probable that it prevails throughout the Colony, and it is also desirable to indicate the cause of it. Formerly it was the custom only to appoint such persons as Justices of the Peace as might be considered by the Resident Magistrate of the district where they resided, fit to administer the law. In those days no question existed as to the impartial and conscientious conduct of a bench. Now Justices of tbe Peace are appointed for political reasons only, and the old check is done away with. The result is that more policemen are required in the community, the lawyers increase and multiply, and the staffs of the Resident Magistrates Couvts are overworked. Political Justices of the Peace who are appointed without a due regard to their character and fitness for office are a misfortune to the Colony. The legal profession, like every other calling, contains a peroenl tage of astute but unscrupulous men who are not slow to take full advan'tage of any weakness or deficiency which they may discover in a Justice of the Peace, and the result is that the administration of the law becomes a scandal. We refer to no particular cases or persons, but we affirm that if in a community the public judge the chances of an accused person entirely by the character of the Justices who try him and independently of either law or evidence there is some reason to believe that tbe temph? of justice is turned into a den of iniquity.

In consequence of the dispute over the number of horses used in the coaches running between Masterton and Tinui, Mr. Ralph Manning, of the Taueru, has resigned his position as wheel-tire inspector. A boxing match for £SO a-side between Mitchell and a local man named Beeves, is beuv arranged to come off in the Masterton Theatre RoyaJ ajb an early date.

The Wairarapa North County Council has refused th# application of the settlers of the Wellington No % Special Settlement for the constitution of a new district to be known as the Mafeakatu' Road District.

We have much pleasure in reminding our Pabiatua readers of the great treat in store for them on Saturday evening next, when the Dobson-Kennedy Company will produce the musical comedy drama "My Sweetheart" at Stewart's Mall. As this Company has twice previously appeared in Pahiatua, it is not necessary to dilate, describe, or enumerate on the merits of this sterling entertainment.

A long and desultory discussion took pb>ce at the meeting of the Wairarapa North County Council yesterday over the proposed transfer of a piece of land by Mr. Ueorge Moore for a new roa'd at Eparaima aud the closing of the old road. It was decided .to await the decision of the ratepayers before taking further action. ,

A cottage and five acres of land at Kuripnni is advertised to let. Further disturbances are reported from the Caroline Islands. The Spanish tioopj suffered heavily in the encounter with the natives.

Lord Sheffield's cricket team play a match at Colombo on the way out to Australia.

A Masonic Lodge, to be named the Rangatira, is about to be established at Hunteryille. The Women's Suffrage Bill has been rejected by the Legislative Council by 17 to 15.

A very unpleasant dust storm was experienced in Masterion to«day. The borough water cart was, of course, not about.

The death is announced by cable o M. Jules Grevey, ex-President of the French Republic, aged 84. Owing to the counter attraction In the Theatre Royal last evening, the usual weekly parade of the Masterton Rifle Volunteers was not held.

The Opaki saw and planing mills are offered for sale. Tenders for their purcbas3 will bfi received by Mr C. E, Daniell till Wednesday, September 23. Constable Ecoleton has been appointed Inspector of Nuisances for the Borough of Greyfcown. In the R. M. Court yesterday afternoon, judgment was given for the plaintiff in the case Berry v. Lett, for £l2 10s and 30s damages.

A man named William McEenzie whiht bushfalling* in Mr Riddiford's bush near Cheltenham had both his legs broken on Monday. A petition has been forwarded to the Government from a number of settlers in the Whareama district, protesting against the payment of costs to Mr R. R. Meredith over bis recent litigation.

MrWm. Murdoch, Eketahuna, the plaintiff in the libel action against the Waieakapa Daily, was on Wednesday evening arrested by Constable Roche for drunkenness and lodged in the lockup. About 11 p.m. he was bailed out by H. Aulin,J.P.

A run on the East Coast known as the Wainuioru-tlaiwhata, comprising 2240 acres, was yesterday purchased from the Wellington Land Board by Mr ! H. Nitz at the upset rental price of Id per acre, the total amount of the annual rental being £9 6s Bd. Circulars were received yesterday by the Wairarapa North County Council from similar bodies in Taranaki and Patea, requesting its support in protesting aeainst the one man one vote and other clauses in the new Counties Act.

Wheat is wheat and not pig feed at the present time in Masterton. A parcel advertised in our columns sold readily at five shillings a bushel. People came for it from Carterton, Greytown, and all round the country and were glad to pick up a few bags of it. At the meeting of the Wairarapa North County Council yesterday, it was resolved to instruct the Inspectors of Slaughterhouses to be vigilant in the exercise of their duties, as it was men* tioned that numbers of cattle had been missed of late by various settlers. The Taranaki Herald completed its thirty-ninth birthday on August 4th. When it was first published the colony's entire papulation was 20,000.

The case in which one Sutherland and a number of Natives claimed the bkji of £lO from Renata i'aora as damages through the liberating of a number of cattle from a branding yard on the Whareama Native Reserve, occupied the R.M. Court for several hours yesterday. Eventually the plaintiffs were nonsuited, with costs, £l2 6s. Mr Pownall appeared for the plaintiffs and Mr Beard for the defendant.

John and Robert Bentley, two boys ot eleven and thirteen years of age respectively, were charged in the R.M. Court this morning with stealing £2 6s 5d from the Masterton Infant school. The accused pleaded guilty, and were remanded till Saturday, the 19th inst. the mother premising to refund the money taken in the meantime.

The Dunedin Star's Wellington correspondent writes:-1 have the very best authority for saying that Mai or Steward wrote a private letter to Mr Bryce last Saturday night offering to retire from the Speakership if that would restore matters to the status quo. Reports received by the New South Wales Department of Lands show that rabbits are increasing to an alarming extent. They are at present mostly found along the aLchlao, where they have overrun a wide area. The plentiful rainfall and free growth of herbage has assisted greatly in the rapid increase and the spread of the pest. A war of extermination is being vigorously prosecuted by the pastoralists.

A somewhat peculiar action was commenoed In the R,M. Court, Masterton yesterday afternoon, Mr A,R. Bunny, solicitor, claiming the sum of £3 from ; Mr L, J. Hooper as damages on account , of the loss of and injury to certain fowls. , It Is alleged that the defendant's dog some weeks ago got into the poultry | yard of Mr Bunny and worried three hens and frightened a mumber of others to such an extent that they have since refused to lay. Evidence for the plaintiff was given by his housekeeper and a young man in his employ. The further hearing of the case was adjourned sine die. They were brothers. They worked ' theirfaimon the W.H.B. Block together. One of them smoked. The other did not smoke. They paid their bills regularly every month. The smoking brother was charged 5s a month for his tobacco. The non-smoker banked money equal to what his brother smoked away. When these savings amounted to £6O the non-smoker bought a thorougbred heifer. When he was bringing the heifer home she fell over a cliff and broke her blooming neck. Moral: Don't measure your own virtue by your brother's vice.— Fielding Star, A representative and strong meeting of the chemists of the Metropolitan Git? was held in Mee's Buildings. LambtonQuay, Wellington, on Wednesday evening last. Among those present were Messrs George Mee (in the chair), W. B. Woods, E. C. Eyens, White, W. Ingles, A. E. Eaines, and W. F. Bar< raud. The object of the gathering was to take steps to perpetuate the Wellington Pharmaceutical Society which had been dormant for the past'six years, and altering its constitution by fresh rules and a new name—that of the Wellington Qhenusta' Association-rcarry it on in a successful manner. It was formally resolved tbajt such a new Association be established and that Messrs Woods, Eyens, Eames, and Ingles (Seo etary), act as a committee to enquire regarding fche financial residue ot the former Society ard as to the nature and extend of its papers and books ; they alsp wgre instructed to report with recommendations to an adjourned general meeting which is to be held on Wednesday, . 23m September. It is intended, we understand, that all members of the profession and their assistants and apprentices, either wholesale or retail, shall be at liberty V> join the association, and special steps will be taken to bring the advantages of membership under the notice of country chemists, who will also be inviteoT to e'nroj themselves. James Smith, proprietor of the weljknown Te Arcj House, Wellineton, has for several monjhe past been in the hgart pi the world's mefropofis, London, superintending the buying for pur pres ent spring season at Te Aro House, Wel> lington

It will no doubt be expected by all the readers of this paper that there will be a most manifest improvement in our shipments, that all goods will be bought well, that is at the lowest cash prices ; that all goods will bathe best ot their class and that all will be in accord with the prevailing fashions of the season. The display we are now making of spring fashions at Te Aro House, Wellington, is most amply and fully corroborative of these views.

Patterns of any of the spring goods of every description will be forwarded tm application W James' §miih, Te Aro House, Wellington. * *• • ' f