A MAGISTRATE ON HIS DIGNITY TO THE EDITOR.
Sir — Your report of the "disagreeable incident" to which I had the pleuyure of being a party at the Magistrate's Court this morning somewhat seriously misrepresented me in one particular. It would be inferred from your report that the Magistrate threw out a challenge which I declined to accept, whereas the exact opposite was the case. When his Worship stated that' if he had heard the expression, which you correctly reported, on Tuesday, he would have ordered me into custody, I answered at onee — (1) That I was very glad his YVorship had not heard me ; (2) that if it would afford him any gratification, I would repeat the Expression then, though it would be irrelevant, as there was no proceeding pending before the Court. His Worship did not accept my offer, and for that reason only I aWaiped from . repetition. • If, ■as your report implied, he had dared me to repeat 'it, and threatened me with imprisonment if I did, it- is certain that he would hove had the opportunity of making good his threat, and that unless he had relented I should now have had the honour of addressing you from the Terrace Gaol. Mr.- Editor, as you know, I am a man of peace, with a natural shrinking from conflict of every description, but I can appreciate a joke, and in this case my sense ol humour alone would have been enough to save me from flinching from a public duty simply because its discharge might have been crowned with the cheapest and most entertaining martyrdom to which I was ever exposed. There would have been no tumult, and no wreaths to mark my progress to the prison cell, no, streaming eyes or aching hearts, no moaning even at the bar ; only the gratitude of every one who can see a joke, and, perhaps — yes, perhaps, a touch of gratitude also from a long-suffer-ing profession.— l am, etc.; A. R. ATKINSON. Wellington, Bth November, 1900.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 115, 12 November 1900, Page 7
Word Count
336A MAGISTRATE ON HIS DIGNITY TO THE EDITOR. Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 115, 12 November 1900, Page 7
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