Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1892. THE AMEER OF BOKARA AND THE RABBIT A

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4143, 20 June 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1892. THE AMEER OF BOKARA AND THE RABBIT A

Being tbe extehded title 'or' the Wairarapa Diitvi with whiohit is IDEMTIOAL , , .„. ;

, [Conlribulil] "The Ameer of Bokara has issued orders that any ol: his subjects failing to take precautions against cholera shall be executed." So runs a very recent cablegram. It points to' the existence of a tyranny pure and simple-a stale of things whioh is almost unsuspeoted at the present day, and which in a country like ours where the principle of freedom is carried well nigh to an extreme, it seems almost impious to,mention. To our minds tbe idea that the power of life and death should lie in the hands of one man from whom there is no appeal iB monstrous: .Some'hihg may certainly be eaidforthe prinoiple of suoh a Govemmonton the 'ground of convenience, but this is far overbalanced by tbe opening that is given for corruption ol all sorts, M oreover an enactment such as that which is reported is little better than useless, for who,is there, whose dread of cholera will not lead him to take precautions against it. The edict, in fact, merely imposes a certainty for a probability. And yet tho' this .autooratio spirit

seems so opposed to the democratic nature of our constitution, the. ediot of the Ameer is not without its parallel in our own laws. For compare that bugbear of the settlers, the

Babbit Act, with the order of the Ameer, and the resemblance isat once apparent. In the first place, the evils to .be avoided in the two cases present great points of likeness. The rabbits spread almost with the rapidity of cholera; and theresult of their coming, unless they are checked, is financial death—ruin: Our statute like the edict reported, orders precautions to betaken against the plrgue'wbiph the settler dreads just as the inhabitant of Bokara dreads theoholoraj and which it stands to reason he will of his own free will avoid if it be possible. Tbe penalty imposed on us is, if inflicted in its entirety, ruin; and moreover it can be and is inflicted at the bidding of one man. Here we are at a disadvantage to the Asiatic. His punishment lies in the power of the

supreme ruler of.the land alone—ours in that of a subordinate official. Certainly it may be said that thn penalty in our case is imposed by the Oomts, while it doeß not appear that ttois iB! to be so in Bokara. But this is more apparent than real, (P 1 * while the law remains in its present stale, if seems that the Magistrate can but do thp Inspector's bidding. And further, when once a conviction is obtained against an unhappy landowner, it seems that it rests in the power of the Inspector to impose ruin, in the shape of an army of so.oalled rabbiters, whenever lie pleases. In faot this Act and the edict re« ported in our cablegram are so alike in their principle, and are yet imposed differing bo, greatly in form, that pnp is, almostdriven, tp.say that it is a case of extremes meeting. It is none the* less a disgrace to <" that it should be possible to trace such a parallel as tbe foregoing, and it is high time that our reproach should be taken away from us.' 'Let the present Act be repealed entirely; or, if it seems that somo measure is necessary, let one be impOsedjwhioh .'is more in keeping witli.tbe free constitution of our Nation, : But-let'us no' longer keep in a statulo book an enactment ffliicji, whilst it deprives our settlers of; all freedom of aetion/tnpßf ajsojbe a cause- of great annoyance to those .whose i ill fortune it is to have to administer it, For in the case of these latter is noohoiceopen ibßtweenlettipg trie Aptlieupefiforced, 'or reaping a full measure of unpopular,

ity tfitough'oodfloteatiqußly'dorag what thejr liament j|inb«. wjbiit 'tbimeet and this iß^;6n9.;pf/^h|)Be^lnqga-wht6h : might well'beftbu^beSireit^'' [The writer, in presenting these parallels, errs,-it seems to us, in his prefatory principle that prospective iosSjOr, imminent danger is of saffi- • cietit "deterrent influence without tHe support of law. Restrictive and , 'corrective legislation is essential. The instinct of self preservation is defeated by' recklessness in individual oases, and indulgent neglect of the'common k good. Statutory cbntrolis riecessary. If enactments are so arbitrary as to become oppressive, it is modification j whioh should be sought, notaboli-tion.-Ep.:W.p,T,]: , ~,»■■,