The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1867.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 1931, 26 February 1867, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1867.

Two events of very recent /occurrence have tended to throw lightupon the character of our lowest, non-criminal; ciass, and to suggest the absolute ne-. cessity of talcing measures to. raise them from the conditionin. which that class is unhappily too . willing to remain.

In a colony where the restrictions j which separate one. class of .society: from another do not exist, and. where, every man may hope to raise himself: or his children to the highest position which talents and moral character entitle them to, there is no need for the exercise of that semi-contemptuous pity which some professed philanthropists cast upon the poor in England; We make no scruple therefore in bringing prominently forward the names; and conduct: of two labouring men, who have given within the course of the last week lamentable and mischievous exhibitions of ignorance and selfishness. They have distinguished themselves as virtual enemies of society by their want of consideration and by their' obstinate folly. We do this in the, hope that even these men are nqt below the wholesome influence of public opinion. The first case we refer to is that of a man named Daniel White, who. was: employed, as it appears, by Messrs Wright and Murray,. of Lincoln, as one of their hands for harvest work. A field of wheat nearly one hundred acres in extent, had bedii. reaped and lay ready for binding and stacking. The labourer we have named lighted his pipej and carelessly threw away the match among the . corn. A strong north>west wind was blowing at the time, which caught the flarae and spread it over the field till the whole crop was consumed. The. loss is estimated at not far from one thousand pounds.

Now it is quite possible that this act of most mischievous carelessness may have been the result of. mere stupidity, But it betrays a thorough want of consideration , for . the good of others, and an ignorance of the'possible effects of so common an occurrence as the blowing of a, hot wind. . The man would' seem to be of that class for whose benefit industrial schools are established in Britain ;but, unluckily for his employers, here, one who had escaped their wt/olijsome discipline ana''training. Had he been taught 'the sound moral lesson of care for the well-being and property of others, and how to use his eyes for the observation of what is.going on; around'him in nature, his stupid . fault would not have been committed. It-is true that a half-witted man, or a mau'of perate; habits might be little: benefited By the best instruction: aad* trainings But we are safe in saying that in ' ninety cases out of a hundred- proper education would 'go: a ; : great. tp preyeiit such' lariientable occurrences, i I The other case to which we refer is that, of the man John' Campbell, wh6 found the remains of a huraan body ii the bed of tho Rakaia river. When brought down to Christchurch and required togive Hig; .evidence as to the : Tvsich- he found the body this man obstinately refused "to do so, unless he were paid for. ;his loss of time at harvest work. He was committed to prispri by the 'Coroner until such'time as he came to a better mind. f

; IB very true that ...this man might say he had some hardship to undergo. But who has not? And what man, worthy of the name, would refuse. lo submit to such an occasional hardship in the higher interests of society. Here was a case in \vhieh the fate of a fellow man and the restoration of his remains to his family were concerned. If there be any men in a new country like this who ought to feel thankful for thei. institution of Coroners and Coroners' juries it is labouring men. The principle, of the law is that no b'oij- shall, be committed to the dust without satisiW tory proof that death was occaaioned by no unfair, means. The wealthy or the toan . of many'friends will always be sure .to have-attention paid to. him whenever be breathes his last. ' But the man who may be the only [ stay of aiyife and,family, or .who may be a friendless wanderer through adverse fortune or through distress at home, needs for his own sake and for the sake of thoße who,' though far away have not forgotten him, that iome means should be taken to care for

him. . And this' is done :by the Coroner's law.

No man can lay ruthless bands upon the poor.stranger and think that there will be no enquiry as to how he died. No family need fear that the restless wanderer who left his home will be iincared and without the rites of christian burial. Biit jf this is to be so, and if it is to be . done by true neighbourly charity, and not as an institution of extravagant public cost to the community all must be prepared to boar their part in maintaining it. Only the very. sweepings of the workhouse, or the loafers who live next door to crime willgrudgefcheirparfc in the occasional trouble or annoyance they may have to : Bubmit ; to when ;the death of a fellow creature..:ani -the mournful, satisfaction to his .friends of knowing that his death was not uncared for are the interests, concerned. ; . At the same time,we are bound toadmitthatthoreis some necessity for the amendment of the law in this respect. Beyond a certain distance, witnesses. for a Coroner's jury ought toMve.'their expenses paid as surely as witnesses before a common jury. But to this aspect of the question we shall take another opportunity of referring;