LUNDY ISLAND’S KING

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 March 1931, Page 9

LUNDY ISLAND’S KING

“VEST-POCKET DOMINION.” What, the Lord Chief Justice described as a very entertaining case came before a London Court recently when Mr. Martin Coles Harman, the owner of Lundy Island, conducted in person his appeal against his conviction at Bideford, Devonport, in April, 1930. He was then fined £5 for unlawfully issuing a piece of metal contrary to the Coinage Act. Lord Hewart, Mr. Justice Avory and Mr. Justice MacKinnon comprised the Appeal Court. Mr. Harman said that the conviction referred to the issue by him of certain coins called puffins and. halfpuffins, to which objection had been taken by the authorities on the mainland.

Some of tho coins were produced by Mr. Harman, who told the Court that puffin birds were' very numerous on Lundy Island “Lundy” was Icelandic foy puffin. Lundy, although quite small, was of importance, and the services it had rendered the shipping fraternity had been valuable. Whenever there had been a murder of the entire population of the island the mainland Government had disclaimed responsibility. >

Tho Lord Chief Justice: Docs the murder of the entire population often happen? (Laughter). Mr. Harman: Yes, pirates, often used to.

Mr. Justice Avory: Perhaps the entire population of rabbits was murdered. s(Laughter).’

NO RATES OR TAXES

Mr. Harman added that Lundy t paid no rates, duties or tithes to the mainland. There was no old age’pension and no allowance for sewerage or lighting. Lundy received nothing from the mainland and paid nothing, and he maintained that Lundy Island was a “vest-pocket .size self-governing dominion.” ' Mr. Harman, who said he had his own postage stamps, caused laughter by remarking, “I dismissed my G.P.0.” “I contend that the Court below and also this Court is not able to deal with my right to issue coins on Lundy Island. The mere fact that Lundy is small and near England**does not alter its status,” said Mr. Harman, who added that he had offered to refer the matter to King George and accept loyally his decision on the matter, but the offer had been refused. Mr. Justice Avory: Who is the Soverign of Lundy? Mr. Harman: I am. , The Lord Chief Justice: You say this was an excess of jurisdiction on tho part of the Bideford Justices, but not. an act of war. Mr. Justice Avory: Does it ever happen that anyone assaults anyone else on Lundy Island? Mr. Harman: Yes, and it is put down, with a heavy hand. Whose heavy hand?—The . hand of my agent, who is 6ft. 4in. in height and weighs 18 stone. (Laughter). Tho Attorney General, Sir William Jowitt, said that Lundy seemed to be Utopia, but he thought that the people would bo just as happy if s they had pennies with King George’s head on them instead of puffins with Mr. Harman’s head on them.

Mr. Justice Avory: The question is whether Lundy is part of Devon. The Lord Chief Justice said that the pase had been ably argued by. Mr. Harman. The question for the Court was whether tire justices came to a correct conclusion. There was evidence that entitled them to convict Mr. Harman.

Mr. Justice Avory and Mr. Justice MacKinnon agreed that the appeal was dismissed. i \