Evening Post. TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1879.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 313, 7 January 1879, Page 2

Evening Post. TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1879.

In the Christchurch Supreme Court yesterday his Honor Mr. Justice Johnston, in his charge to tbe Grand Jury, said he saw no reason to believe that there had been any considerable increase in the criminal population of the Colony. We believe the statistics of crime will show that there has of late been not a inconsiderable decrease ; at least, that there has been a decrease both in tbe number and magnitude of the offences, Tbe recent proposal, made some weeks ago by Judge Johnston himself, points to this as an already observable result; for he then suggested that the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, instead of being held quarterly, as at present, should be held in future every four months. Unless there were good grounds for this proposal to be found in an ascertained reduction in the number of cases, which render four sessions a year too many, there would be an injustice in prolonging commitment of prisoners awaiting trial. As a Colony, we believe it will be fouud that New Zealand, notwithstanding the extent of its immigrated population, among whom there were occasionally some black sheep, compares favorably with any colony in the ! Australias. There aresome specific crimes whicb may be referred to the credulity — sometimes a culpable credulity —of tbe public. These were, and not for the first time, referred to by Judge Johnston yesterday as being the i causes of passing false or forged cheques, and | the crime of arson. It was, if wo rightly remember, Judge Johnston who denominated this kind of forgery as the crime of the i colony, and certainly the facilities which were given by credulous people — "small shopkeepers, storekeepers, and, above all, publicans" — who changed cheques for strangers, and allowed themselves thus to be cheated in a fashion which, he said, was ridiculous, rendered this description of crime easy. This credulity has for years afforded dishonest men opportunities of which they have largely availed themselves. Of course as regards publicans the historic pbrase about a shepherd or bushman coming periodically to the publichouse to " knock down his cheque," is the publican's excuse for following the old tradition, and being ready to accept what in the old days was the entrance of a bushman plus a big cheque for a half-year's work, and the departure of that sime bushman, after a week or two's hard drinking, minus the said cheque and all its products, .save much-injured intestines, a splitting headache, and premonitory ! symptoms of what is termed "D. T's." But for the ordinary shopkeeper there is not this excuse, and there can be no doubt whatever that the childlike simplicity with which he permits himself to be taken in by accepting valueless cheques has fostered the growth of this common kind of swindling. For years warnings against this practice have been frequent and unheeded ; let us hope that this latest censure from the bench will have the effect of inducing caution and firmness in refusing cheques where the persons are unvouchou for, or where doubt exists as to the genuineness of the document. Regarding wilful fire-raising, which Judge Johnston attributes to wooden houses, insurance, and in some cases revenge, romething may fairly be said. It is not many weeks since, apropos of the suspected incendiary case of M'Elwain's cottage, we remarked on the too great ease with which insurances could be effected, as tbe consequence of that competition which the multiplication of insurance companies during the past few years has produced. Wooden houses we an likely to have with us for a considerable time to come, although in Wellington

we now find an expenditure of money on erections in brick and stone ao large as that such outlay could only result from a firm faith in the stability of such structures, and the {abolition of the former fears for those earthquakes whose centre of action wduld seem to have shifted to a more southern region. But it is beyond question that wooden tuildings, and the facilities which any scoucdrel may enjoy Hy shavings *oaked in kerosene, coupled with easily-obtained policies of insurance, offer a premium for incendiary fires. Insurance company directors have sometimes to pay losses with a pleasant face, wbile in their hearts they feel, although they caunot find legal proof, that the recipient, instead of obtaining the money, should be placed in front of « Judge and a jury. It is notorious that in Auckland for years companies suffered enormous loss from incendiarism ; and it is a curious fact tbat when hard times are approaching, or are present, we enter simultaneously into the zone of fires; which can only be called purposely performed "accidents," the causes of which, | according to the formula of the Coroner's jury, there is no evidence to show. More care both aa|to the amount sought to be insured, the condition of the building; its value, and the value of its contents, and not last, the character of the applicant for insurance, ought to be exercised, than has hitherto been possible while keen competition tor business existed. Later telegrams confirm our opinion that Nihilism, or by whatever name the revolutionary spirit is known in Russia, was at the bottom of the fatal students' riot at Kiev, particulars of which we received by cable from our Special London Correspondent at an advanced hour yesterday afternoon. Another telegram of a date subsequent to that of the despatch telling of the outbreak, points to its cause. It seems that the secret society, whose branches appear to ramify all over Russia, had issued a manifesto at St. Petersburg, enjoining on " Young Russia" the duty of rising to destroy the present yoke of despotic government. Tbe students in countries governed as Russia is, are always the class ' most susceptible . and responsive to revolutionary-appeals. Culture naturally produces aspirations for freedom, and hence the frequency with which students— both male and female — with the enthusiasm of youth, have so often, in Russia, been the leaders in, and sufferers of the penalties of, unsuccessful rebellion. There is another reason why Kiev should be a hot-bed of disaffection toward Russia. It is not only one of the largest of Russian cities, and one of the most intellectual ; it is also the oldest, and was once the capital of Russia when that country was but small. But about one-third of its population are Poles, most of whom entertain an inheritance of hatred against the power who destroyed their fathers' freedom, and absorbed their country. In accordance with the customary policy of Russia it may prove to be the fact that the students had been incited to revolt by the intrigues of the spies for the purposes of teaching them, and those wbo sympathise with the revolutionary spirit that is abroad, the lesson of blood which the streets of the chief University city of Russia have just witnessed. With an impoverished exchequer, with broken credit in the money markets of Europe, with a population pressed by war taxation, and with the revolutionary spirit so prevalent as it seems to be, with her power in Central Asia shaken by her obvious impotence in the recent Afghan disturbance, which she had fostered, and which has been so promptly subdued, Russia does not appear likely to be well fitted for f urtlier wars of conquest. It is a curious anomaly to find the ruler of a country persisting in professions of being the crusader of freedom to other peoples, while his own languish under a yoke, of which the recent episode of Kiev is the latest outcome.