ANOMALIES OF THE LAW.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 435, 17 April 1875, Page 2

ANOMALIES OF THE LAW.

detailed in the evidence. Could we have glanced into the innermost hearts of most of those present in Court yesterday when Fisher was convicted, we should probably have fonnd 19 out of 20 mentally pleading guilty oi having some time or other committed something very much akin to a similar offence. Looked at from a very high moral point of view, such as a Judge is entitled to take up when expatiating on the necessity of preserving female virtue from taint and of shielding female chastity fr^nder the of the law, it may be a high crime ancf misdemeanour to snatch a kiss from a pretty woman, whatever the temptatioikor however willing she may appear, if she stop start of actual invitation. Even the broad hints ofVlelen to Modus might not bea sufficient defence toacharge of assault, but, as his Honor remarked yesterday, human nature is sometimes weak, and the existence of human passions cannot be disregarded or ignored in practice* Few people have reached the height of moral perfection which would enable them to honestly feel that an offence of the kind in questioV deserves such a punishment as has fallen on Thomas Fisher. There is one other point in this case to^which we may refer. His Honor, before passinWentence, asked the gaoler if there would be any aowitage gained by omitting the hard labour, and making the punishment simple imprisonment. Mr Head replied, "On the contrary, he would only get a low scale of rations." This is eminently suggestive, and should receive the attention of the Government. — " Evening Post."