Open Column.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 3, Issue 132, 31 March 1860, Page 1

Open Column.

To the Editor of the Hawtes Bay Herald. Sib, — My attention has within the last day or two been drawn to two foolish articles in the "Wellington Independent," in -which a comparison is sought to be established between-a recent assault case heard before the Napier Bench, and one of libel brought before the Supreme Court at its late sittings at Nelson, greatly to the disfavor of the first-mentioned tribunal, and of the Resident Magistrate here. I am surprised at this, and regret that the contributor to the " Independent " (for both articles are evidently the production of the same pen) should have allowed the bias of his political opinions, or something else, so far to warp his judgment as to betray him into the error into which he has fallen. Why, Sir, if a parallel can at all be drawn between the two cases, we shall find the ResidentMagistrate of Napier and the District Judge of Nelson at the extreme ends of one line, and Mr.. John Nathaniel Wilson and Mr. Alfred Saunders at ditto ditto of the other. Now, allow me to ask the contributor to the "Independent" in particular, and the public in general, the two following questions : — 1. If the District Judge of Nelson (supposing that dignitary to have so far forgotten his position) had hit Mr. Saunders a slap in the face, what would have been the probable decision of the bench before whom the case would have come ? Or, 2. Had Mr. Wilson appeared before the Supreme Court to answer for the offence of which he acknowledged himself before the Magistrates here to have been guilty, what would His Honor Mr. Justice Johnston have said to the Crown Prosecutor for Hawke's Bay ? Eh, ! Mr. Editor, thero is nothing like putting these things in their true light before the public. Yours truly, J. P. Napier, March 19, 1860.