KEREAMA KEPA VERSUS W. J. HUNTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2031, 14 July 1885, Page 2

K ERE AM A KEPA VERSUS W. J. HUNTER.

jo mi. union. Km,— Xow that the KM. Mr ][ \V. Xoitheioft habgnen lii-> deeiMim in this case, i suppose I <nn iit libcity to lefei to it, 01 at least, to .1 ftnv 011.1111ist.mces in connection with it, .11 anything that in.iy now be said cannot be constmcd into a desire to influence tlie judgment of the couit eithei one way or the other. This ea^e (or these cases, for theieaie se.veial of them), has caused much ])üblic inteiest of late, and as the issue is of great iinpoitance to those cunceined, it is but iiprhttli.it anything which ma> tend tofacilitite ju-tice, should be made known. It will be lunrinbeied that i)ie\iousto the heating of this case, a petit. 0 1 was sent to the Minister of Justice, signed by sex en Justices of the Peace, and other gentlemen, asking that Mr Xoithcioft be not allowed to hear the case. Thuse who signed that petition did so puicly 111 tho intiMe>ts of iiistice, they weie not 111 any way piejudiced against the 15. M. Soi'nc of them in f.ict, aic Mi Xoithciofts peisonal fiiuids, lint, helie\ing that Mi Xoithcioft was not of 111 unp.utial mind, so fn as these paiti culm cisos weie concerned, they felt it thin duty ti> tike tho iction the,> did. The decision in Raiisheld's ca^u fulh w .111 anted them in adopting sush a umise. Mi Like, M.H.K , was asked to -nfn this petition, but he declined, on the piounil th.it, Mi Nintlicioft w.is both p(>isonalh .md politically bi"» mend, and thei efoie, he did not wi»h to take any action which should in any way injuie hun. fsoine of the nisticcs who Mgned the petition, I believe, went to Mi Xoithcroft and t< Id him what they liad done, that he might not think they were desiiousof taking a (|uit j t advantage of him. Now, though Mi Like lefu.sed to sign the petition as the leprcMMitative of the Di^f-nct, he I'xpiewd his opinion that such an liitluentially signed ])etition .should be 1 subject fi 1 ( !o\ eminent enquiry, and ii jusjiceto Mi Xoithcroft and all conceincd it is to be hop d that such an enquiiy will be lieh 1 . V wply was received to the petition tn the ette'et t' a1;a 1 ; the Government I'ad nopowei to oulei a paiticulai judge foi the tnd of a |).uticular case, and that tin 111 tii sliuukl be icpiescnted to the 1!.\1 But the piouioters. did not deem it wOlw 01 th then while to make any such lejue-entitious, as it had been announced tliiouj.li the pie-s tint Mr Xorthcrcft would heat the case notwithstanding the piotcstof the public. Now, sir, the point I want to make clear is this, and I hope the d< fondant, Mi Hunter, will satisfy the public 011 the in. itt 1. Did not Mr Xoith cioft, on healing of thi> petition go to Mr Huutei with a tolejia-i which he asked him to sign, to the Minister of Justice lepudi itmg all connection with the jutition, and asking that lie, Mi XOIIII ciofc, be allow ed to he 11 tho c.isl ' - F am &c, .Jl such.