PORT NICHOLSON NEWS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 3, 6 May 1843, Page 3

PORT NICHOLSON NEWS.

, We have been favoured by a frlend with a file of the "Wellington Spectator" from March 15 to April 12, together with a file of the London "New Zealand Journal" up to November 12th, from the latter paper some extracts will be found in our fourth page. —the Port Nicholson papers contain little of any importance, with the exception of a Report of a Public Meeting, held on the 18th. March, "for the purpose of considering the best means of getting the present alarming costs of the County Court (which amount to a denial of justice in

most cases) reduced, and also, to address the Government on the most suitable constitution for a Court for the Recovery of Small Debts." This is a subject to which we had ourselves intended to call the attention of the settlers in this part of the country, and to which we shall take an early opportunity of referring, having some time ago received a long communication on this subject.. Ttie constitution of our Law Courts in not only a nuisance and an oppression, but a disgrace to an enlightened community. — The Port Nicholson papers are also occupied with ihe discussion of " whether the present Jury List is legal or not;" — we believe they are right in saying that it is not legal, and we further believe that not a single decision in any case tried, either here or at Port Nicholson, before a Jury since the first of March last, is legal or valid, — but we believe there is nothing legal in the whole colony. The question of Native Reserves seems to be attracting a good deal of attention at Port Nicholson, and, like ourselves, the Editor of the "Gazette" seems quite convinced that nothing than the complete emancipation of the Natives will put an end to these disputes. We are sorry for the unhappy position of the settlers to the southward, who have not only to bear up against an unjust government, but also against a rapacious company. The "Gazette" of the 8th April contains a long leading article regarding the most inquisitorial rule of his honor the Chief Justice, which requires that any person before pleading before the Supreme Court, or practising as an Attorney, shall swear, That " he has never in his whole life done any act for which, if it was known to a second party, would subject " him "to the consequences of any penal or criminal statute." We scarcely know which most to admire, the want of grammar and sense in the above oath, or the utter want of knowledge of human nature, which suggested the proposal of such a monstrous absurdity to men of common sense and good education as lawyers ought to be. It is a shame to the legal profession that such an insulting oath should be required of those practising it. Is the Judge so essentially pure and undented that he will not allow any person who has ever committed a sin to enter his presence? We could understand an oath as to future conduct, and the promise of abstaining from future sin, but the idea of compelling a lawyer to swear that he is not a rogue, is truly worthy of Judge Martin himself. Will he take this oath himself, pure and immaculate as no doubt he is? We admire the conduct of Mr. Fox in resisting this monstrous absurdity ; and we think the Auckland lawyers, though they have taken this oath, would scarcely like after all, good though they be, to expose every little act of their past lives to this legal confessor. — Surely Judge Martin was originally intended for a Priest— he would make a very agreeable father confessor, we doubt not — perhaps as good a priest as a judge. We would like to see all lawyers made honest men, but to make them swear that they are not felons, is really rich — it is bringing the profession too — too low, no matter who may have taken the oath, "leader of the Bar," or junior attorney — we question much if many could be found who have studied in Oxford, Cambridge, or any other University or any Inn of Court, who could honestly lay their hands to their hearts and take this oath. The Port Nicholson papers are silent about the hole and corner petition that has been got up in favour of Mr. Willoughby Shortland as Governor— they are doubtless ashamed of themselves, and no wonder, it was too bad to play upon poor M. Shortland in the way they have. Poor Shortland in his simplicity thought Mr. "Wide-awake" was sincere when he cajoled him for his own purpose, with the hope of getting up a Petition to procure the appointment of Governor for him. Mr. "Wide-awake" got his object accomplished, and also got up a petition for Mr. Shortl.md, but he kept it four months without being forwarded to England, knowing well that a new governor would be appointed long before then. Poor Shortland — it is not so easy to rise from Colonial Secretary to Governor, as it was to rise from Police Magistrate to Colonial Secretary. But men are blind to their own defects — they are not "wide awake," Shortland should have known Wakefield of old.