RE GENT. ONE.

NZ Truth, Issue 79, 22 December 1906, Page 4

RE GENT. ONE.

When a gentleman "by Act of Parliament" outruns the constable and plays sad havoc with trust funds and m other ways misbehaves himself and commits indiscretions,, called crimes when the offender is an ordinary com-mon-place everyday individual, the said gentleman by Act of Parliament is treated with a consideration that makes the Law look a bigger ass than ever ; besides showing too glaringly that there is one law for one class and another for the Philistine, who is not a gentleman by Legislative enactment. . Of late Australia and New Zealand have had a surfeit of legal leeches whose peculiar ideas of f'nance is remarkable and whose conduct both as politicians and lawyers is actuating, or ought to actuate; the Supreme Courts to ask those gentlemen by Act of Parliament to show cause why thef should not be struck off the roll. The fear of being cited for contempt of court prevents this naoer from saying what no doubt will he said concerning , Lawyer Henry Strattoo. Izard, of Greytown, . when the financial tangle he is now m is unravelled. Certainly his financial operations seem as if they would require a great deal of explanation, and ihoUßh lie has filed his schedule m bankruptcy it is doubtful whether legal proceedings m re this gent one are likely to end m the Bankruptcy Court. That L'.ard is m a devil of a mesa no one doubts ; but why is Izard, ' because he' is a lawyer, being treated differently to any other bankrupt who does not possess a pull. After filing his schedule, particulars of which were published m the . press, this being a matter of. which the press could not he prevented from publishing the tale-telling figures,what is the result ? The six-and-eight brigade, anxious to keep • a brother shark out of the glare of public scrutiny. take command, ahd the "Manawatu Herald," m a recent issue, thus sums up the situation :. "For consummate bluK tlie solicitors who. attended th 6 first meeting ol Henry Stratton Izard, at Greytown, take the cake, and it is about time some of these centry had their "tails twisted." At the meeting of creditors the lawyers took charge of the whole affair: settled what -questions should be asked the debtor, and what should be made public, and '.what should be kept from the public, and ihe reporters/ were fired out. Why should any preference be shown- to a bankrupt because he is a lawyer' ? If an unfortunate tradesman "goes through the mill," the whole, or his business affairs are glaringly set forth. Why an exception m this case. ? This bankrupt has squandered thousands of nounds of trust inonev, blasted the hopes pf hard working people and shaken the confidence and lowered the prestige of the legaL profession m the Wairarapa. Let his transactions be nubliclv exposed. One pa/per informs us that" he went' to see the Melbourne Gun run and if a cent-am N.Z. horse had won a race, things would have been brighter for the creditors _ A nice admission. He should receive the reward he- richly > merits for his misdeeds, despite the blue-blood element and the unfair protection of his brothers of the legal calling." .