NEW LAW

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1934, Page 8

NEW LAW

NATIVE MURDERERS

AUSTRALIA ACTS

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, Hay 5. • The Federal Government has at last' proclaimed a new law for the trial of native murderers, and its action has probably been hastened by the general disgust which has been shown at the treatment meted out to those aboriginals who recently surrendered to the missionary party and were taken to Darwin. It was clear that the natives did not understand the significance of the official action that was . taken, against them as soon as they landed at Darwin, and the fear that overtook them when they left the custody of the missionaries and were manacled by the police was pitiful to witness. Under the new proclamation the Judge will not be compelled to sentence to death a native convicted of murder, and will be able to take into consideration those tribal customs that may have induced the native to take life.

It should be explained that most of the native murders are the outcome of some breach of their tribal laws, and on this account they have won great sympathy. There is usually a native woman in the case. In an impassioned outburst at the annual meeting of the Council of Churches in Sydney this week the retiring president (Mr. T. E. Eofe) said:—"l would shoot down any man in cold blood if it- meant the protection of the honour of women. And I would not be troubled by the thought of wrongdoing." He said that most of the murders committed by aboriginals had been caused by white men. The natives would, do no harm, unles3 harm was done to their women. They avenged the wrong, and any man would do that. It had been shown that parties of innocent whites had been attacked, because a previous party of whites had interfered with the gins. That scandalous state of affairs should be taken, into consideration at the trial of the Caledon Bay murderers at Darwin.

The Government has agreed that the new regulations should come into force in time for the trial of the Caledon, Bay men. The Judge will sit without a jury, and he will be given absolute discretion in deciding what punishment, if any, should be inflicted. Thus has the Federal Government taken heed, of popular feeling. It is pointed out that the poor, simple savages were not conscious of any offence. They.agreed to go to Darwin with the eagerness of children taking part in a picnic, proving that they did not realise ,the seriousness of their position. What provocative atrocities, it is asked, were perpetrated before they killed the Japanese sailors?