Evening Post. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1877.

Evening Post, Volume XV, Issue 212, 10 September 1877, Page 2

Evening Post. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1877.

" Waii to the knife " appears to be the order of the day at present. While Ministers of the Crown and members of the House have been vituperating each other in the choicest political Billingsgate, and their quarrels have only just stopped short of personal violence, a feud of equal bitterness has been carried on in the drowsy, peaceful town of New Plymouth between two of its chief official magnates, Mr. H. Eyre Kenny, the District Judge, and Mr. Arthur Standish, the Mayor, who, as it happens, being a lawyer, is al«o Crown Prosecutor. This feud has culminated in an appeal being made to the Minister of Justice by both parties. The correspondence on the subject explains the whole story, and a peculiar one it is. The first letter is one addressed by Judge Kenny to the Minister of Justice, in which lie shows how the disagreement originated. We will not quote the letter in full, .but simply give its main points. It appears that for some time past the minds of the people of New Plymouth have been much exercised concerning the Harbour question, and that a number of public meetings of a somewhat excited character have been held about it in the court-room of the Taranaki Institute, the permission of Judge Kenny being usually asked and obtained to use the room. At one of those meetings held on the 18th August there was a great row, and according to the statement of Judge Kenny, "much damage was done to public property. Several chairs were broken, penholders snapped in mischief, ink wantonly upset on the Judge's bench and the counsels' table ; while the rails of the bench had been made standing-places of, to the serious detriment of the varnish." In consequence of these injuries to articles of public property, Judge Kenny resolved to allow no more public meet ings to be held in the court-room. Mr. Staudish, the Mayor, however, without consulting the Judge at all, convened two public meetings to be held in the court-room on 25th August, one in the afternoon and another at night to discuss the harbour question. These meetings took place, and, according to the statement of the Judge, were more rowdy than the previous one. It was with great difficulty," writes the Judge "that a breach of the peace was prevented, and it is impossible to convey an adequate idea of the scene of filth, disorder, and destruction that met our eyes on the morning after the meeting. There will not be a sound chair left in the courtroom after a few more exhibitions of thi3 sort." Judge Kenny then, naturally enough, asked the Government to give him special authority to forbid any more meetings being held in the court-room, pointing out that the Odd Fellows' Hall is available for such purposes. Incidentally he refers to the rudeness of Mr. Standish in calling the meeting without asking hi (the Judge's ) permission to use the room. He then quietly adds : — " But the personal incivility of the Mayor of a petty little town is a matter of small consequence." This temperate and, to our view, perfectly proper letter, appeara to have wounded the self-love, and roused the ire of the burgesses and Mayor of New Plymouth to a very great degree indeed. Mr. Mayor Standish straightway puts on his war paint and " goes" for the Judge. Commenting upon the letter of the latter, a copy of which had been forwarded to him, he intorms the Minister of Justice that Judge Kenny " has made contemptuous and disparaging reference to his position as elected Mayor of New Plymouth," while he further denounces him for his "offensive and insulting allusions towards its people." He alleges that the facts stated by Judge Kenny " are overdrawn, over-colored, and, in some instances, misrepresented," but though he,at great length, attempts to prove this in detail, we feel bound to say that he docs not make out a good case. Indeed, after reading the Mayor's two column letter, the facts still remain uncontradicted, that three very rowdy meetings were held, that the fittings and furniture of the courtroom were much injured, and that, in the main, Judge Kenny's story Is a true one. The most significant feature of this correspondence, however, has still to bo alluded to. From various letters which have reached us from New Plymouth, we gather that a strong feeling of hostility towards Judge Kenny exists on the part of a section of the community in the township, and that underlying this petty squabble about broken chairs and penholders, there is a desire to bring about his removal. For instance, the Mayor winds up his letter by saying :— " I would ask ths Government to consider whether the use of this extravagant and intemperate language (on the part of Judge Kenny) is not an indication of the absence of that sound, sober judgment and discretion that should regulate the conduct and expressions of an administrator of justice, and whether it does not evidence a rashness inconsistent with, and dangerous to, the calm and impartial administration of justice. • » • I would further ask whether a gentleman who can write so iatempcrately concerning the inhabitants of the place where he sits to administer justice is ealcnlatod or likely to administer that justice to those people in so calm and impartial a manner as to inspire them with confidence in his impartiality and fairness." Then Mr. Mayor Standish winds up by asking the Government to appoint a commission to enquire into — not this wretched rowdy meeting and furniture breaking business— but as to Judge Kenny's conduct generally, and the opinion of the people concerning it. Without expressing any opinion as to whether a section of the New Plymouth people have or have not any just ground for their hostility to Judge Kenny, we cannot avoid condemning in the strongest terms the way in which Mr. Mayor Standish seeks to assail him. Nutting in Judge Kenny's letter justified the insinuation made by Mr. Mayor Standish, that he, the Judge, " might not administer justice with judgment and dis-

cretion, or in such a calm and impartial manner as to inspire the people with confidence in his impartiality and fairness." If Mr. Mayor Standish desires to accuse Judge Kenny with respect to his conduct in his judicial capacity, and desires a commission of enquiry relative thereto, he should do so in a direct and specific way, giving facts and details in the fullest manner. He should either do this or remain altogether silent. What he has done is to insinuate charges of grave misconduct, without affording a particle of proof in support of the imputations he attempts to convey. It is quite clear that Mr. Mayor Standish would be all the better of a thorough snubbing at the hands of the Minister of Justice. Apart from tliis, should it be shown, in a plain straightforward way, that there are sufficient grounds for making an enquiry into Judge Kenny's conduct, then by all means let such an enquiry take place. So far, such grounds have not yet been shown to exist.

Political rumors are rife though the heads of the new " Middle Party " afi'ect an air of the profoundest secrecy. This is either duo to the fart that they have little to tell, or that any premature disclosures would frustrate their plans. Though contradicted in some quarters, it is pretty generally reported that a direct "No Confidence " vote will be moved this week. Each side appears equally confiding of majority, and if the vote of " No Confidence" should he brought forward there will be a close fight. Such are the reports in the lobbies. They must be taken for what they are worth.

The Special Cable Message to the Post from our London correspondent, shows that Osman Pasha's army at Loftscha, on the right flank of the Russian position in Bulgaria, has been engaged in conflict for two days with the Russian forces, the result, however, as yet being undecided. The total killed on both sides during the fighting was 5000, and the wounded 1000. __ ________