Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] THUESUAY, JUNE 8, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4438, 8 June 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] THUESUAY, JUNE 8, 1893.

Wbkh Mr recently; caaie to Mas'terton as purß.M.we.tiad certnioly ho prejudice, 'in. hia favour but we considered tliat lie had aright to fair -play. Our Wellington oontemporary the Ekmg-Post; peemed to entertain a different'. opinio'))!' 'jw baforo our new E.M. had Bettled down to his work, the journal in question, had what is popularly known k " its knife''.into bitn. Its Masteiton correspondent : ; :a/i statement of the bench ana on the basis pf-its own error, the Pat made out a case against"Mr-Hutohison,-• "The knife" iB still in, aswillbs seen from the following' extract fronj : (ou> con-temporaryv':-i , ' bty .. The riyht:of frco interpretation according to 'judiyidriar discretion assumed: by Mr Hutchison 8.M., and strongly supported by the' W.ilrarapa Star as a rijbt,' aud'?p,rope; thing on the part of Magistrates, was oflectually condemned by the calling'Mr'Biitchisori io th«jsirlct';letWr)of th'e'law in the . appeal •recently heard. ! It is a pity that when- MajtsWa'tes pi V people to the ospcbse ; ogainst ■ decisions' contrary; to Vevrlct; Inter--s)le'iatier) of the law they.; ahouH not'- be made 'rßsp>nsble lot ,i|hf costs.-It; will, have Vcomo'to'thiju 'M^jjfefjßjejf. Dersisf Jri preferring their.own discretion tq nj,ij pi Parliament. 1 >'■■'-. ,-l : ; ..:.■■. "■ It is the misfortuno of the Evening ; Ppiitohtgjt altogether.ati?o»with ' tlie;-p]ain .foot's of j even to bave taken the trouble to.look , up the clause of the 1 which it acoußea Mr Hutchison: of i '• freely hterpretiag," Ihe [rJOtb sec*

tion of the Lioenßiog Aot runs, up follpwa:-r '^"- ; :>'\ : p^- ; ■"■• i''s

. Anoordof eyerycenviotionof anoffenM against''any'ofthelast fonr-ioregoinjWo? tions'JJthe; preceding liepllbn'dejulfaj with nnfaul ganiir j) aha?' be endowed on the license of the person convicted,

Where was the "freeinterpretation" of Mr Hutchison in carrying out this clause ? It is true that Mr Hutchison has .been, restrained, by the Obief Justice from aoting upon it, but what is the effect of the decision of the I Supreme Court.. i ny. hotel proprietor after committing a serious offence can' escape; the... legal penalty' .of; it by securing a temporary transfer from a couple; of members of. a Licensing Committee, Is this the meaning and' intent of the Act or is it the Chief Justice's fire interpretatibh : of it; The Obief Justice has made a simple, plain and unmisiakeaVe' ojause of the Aißt wholly inopew-ive b'y his decision. If his ju'dgmentbe "correotthe law ought certainly to be altered in the coming session of Parliament. The last safeguard of the public appears tobe broken down by his decision, Practically, nil penalties can now be evaded, and however muoh we may dislike Prohibition, we may be diiven to accent it as tbe only alternative to bad legislation and lax iidrmmulratipn. It is absurd to' blamo Mr Hjitcbison, K.M., for the aciionhe took. Every honest man in the community who reads the clause of the Act, must see that he cairied out both the spirit and the letter of it. The Post way revile Mr Hutohison/ but we.may say—and we speak as a political opponent—tbat Mr Hutchison is gaining ihe oonndenoe of the public In thisdislrict, byclear,stiaightforward and honest ■