THE BUSINESS OF THE R.M. COURT.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 373, 20 March 1879, Page 2

THE BUSINESS OF THE R.M. COURT.

The hearing of the chirge of garottiag, at the R.M. Court this morning, occupied the Resident Magistrate till nearly 12 o'clock— an hour beyond the usual time of commencing the civil business. At tho conclusion of the cumin al business, Mr. Gordon Allan, addressing the Magistrate, said that he had been requested by his professional brethren to represent to his Worship tbe inconvenience which the Bar practising at the Court frequently sustafoed through tbe hours devoted to civil business being encroached upon by criminal business. To-day was an instance in point, the Bar having been kept waitiog an hour after the time appointed for the commencement of the civil business Of course they all knew that his Worship did counsel. There were only two days a week devated to civil business, and even those were encroached upon by the criminal business. Bearing in mfnd the largo amount of civil ! business which came before his Worship, counsel thought it would to a great convenience for the criminal bugiae&i to be undertaken by a separate magistrate. Mr. Mansford, in reply, said that he had always endeavored, so far as he possibly could, to suit tbe convenience of counsel. Since he had been here, however, in consequence of the rapid growth of the city, the business bad increased to a very great extent, and he had found it extremely difficult at times to overtake tha work. He had made a repre emtation to the G vernment that he thought it advisable that the criminal business should be undertaken by a separate magistrate. He was oiten taken away from Wellington, aud after

the loss of oven ono day he found it almost impossible to overtake the business. Tho representations now made by the bar might induce the Government to appoint another magistrate for tbo criminal business. Ho wasvery sorry to have kept professional gentlemen waiting, but he considered that cases affecting the liberty of the subject should be attended to first, and that was the reason why he allowed tbe criminal cases to be taken. It was quite evident that tho time had arrived when some othor arrangement should be made, and ho would again bring the matter under the notice of the Government.