DISPROPORTIONATE SENTENCES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9126, 10 June 1895, Page 3

DISPROPORTIONATE SENTENCES.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE PBESS. Sib, —Aβ a resident in a country town, I should like to add my quota of indignation to that of others who have expressed themselves strongly . on the absurdly small sentence inflicted on a case heard at the last Supreme Court sittings, and whieti has been referred to in your correspondence columae. In view of the sittings of Parliament which will shortly commence in Wellington, I hope influence will be brought to bear on the Canterbury members to induce them to bring in a Bill which will permit— not only permit, but leave no discretion with the judge—that when a conviction is obtained for the commission of offences under notice, nothing less than sound punishment with the lash shall be inflicted. It will be in the memory of many readers of your,valuable journal that some,years ago, when garrotting was rampant at Home, nothing succeeded in stamping it oat an til the " cat" was brought into requisition. It is hard to understand on what ground presiding Judges base their sentences, and in concluding these few remarks I would just refer to a recent sentence in Dnnedin, where a man in* a state of intoxication broke some windows, for which one would have thought one month's imprisonment, at any rate, a sufficiently stringent punishment : bat this unfortunate fellow, who destroyed property which a few pounds at most would put right, gets a sentence of twelve months, while a miserable rascal who injures both the moral and physical condition of hit

innocent and helpless victim for life ia let off with nearly as light a punishment;.— Yours, dec, Countryman. Ashburton, 7th June, 1895.