Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4367, 14 March 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1893.

Bbino tub extended . Ting of the Wairarapa Daily, with which it is IDENTICAL

We have grieved over the deterioration of the Magisterial Bench in New Zealand for years past. A Magistrate should be a man in whom tho public should be able to place implicit confidence, one whom ihey mist respect and honour, The number of suoh men has, year by year, been steadily diminishing, and the ranks have been filled to a certain extent by unworthy recruits, It was with pain that we announced yesterday that one, who, by experience, character, and intelligence, had proved himself a capable as well ns an industrious Magistrate, had resigned his appointment." Mr Burton Boys cannot be replaced on the Masterton Bench, and what little confidence the public have in the administration of the law by Justices of the Peace in this town, is still further woakened by his retirement, <We consider that his resignation is a mistake; but it is one that could not have occurred under the old order of things, before the Bench of Justices bad been debased by political jobbery. It is now the fashion—it was not then—for lawyers to treat Justices of the Peaoe somewhat cavalierly. In this instance, a local practitioner commented on a decision given by Mr Burton Boys, in an improper manner. The excuse for the lawyer might have been that he uttered the words to which' exception was taken, in the heat of the moment, but undoubtedly he ought, in our opinion, to have taken the earliest opportunity of withdrawing them. On the other hand, Mr Burton Boys, with his twenty-six years experience as a justice of the peace, and his admitted integrity and ability, ought not U have resigned because a lawyer offended him. He should either have treated the objectionable remark with contempt, or resented it in a very different fashion, However, he resigned, and the Government has accepted his resignation, although he is a Liberal—but then all Liberals are not of the right colour, the true mud tint, WW would have been done in old times in such a matter ? Just what ought to be done now, but is never done by the pettifogging politicians who are dragging the honor of the Colony in the mire, In old days the resignation would have been reto the Resident Magistrate of the district for a report and would have teen dealt with on his advice. In this way a misfortune might have been prevented, but now the only question is whether a man is of the

right colour. In old times a Government never placed a man on the roll without consultation with the BesU dent Magistrate of the district in which he resided and there was rarely a bad appointment-now a good appointment is the exception and if the pocess of deterioration goes on it will in time he a greater hoi.our to stand in the dook than to eis on the Bench. No settler who haß any real regard for the credit of the Colony can view without dismay the process of capable justices leaving the Bench and incap. able jußtices taking their places,