THE WAYS OF JUSTICE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11334, 30 July 1897, Page 6

THE WAYS OF JUSTICE.

TO THE EDITOE. Sie,— The ways of justice are beyond comprehension. Kindly grant me space to quote two- cases:—“ Wellington, June 8. Young Chong Sura, an undersized Chinaman, pleaded guilty of stealing £2 10s lid from another Chinaman, Wong Kum. In the lower. Court he urged' that he was ill and poor, and did not know what to do; but it appeared that he had been twice convicted of similar offences, though at first he attempted to deny it. • Ho was sentenced to three years’ hard labour.’’ On reading this I .was.mUch struck by the severity of the sentence, and could scarcely believe I saw aright, when glancing further on I saw the following“ Invercargill, June 8. Gust Bateman,, twenty-five, for stealing £6 belonging to a rabbiter, was sentenced to six months, as several convictions were. recorded against him.” Can anyone explain to me why the poor Chinaman—whose pathetic plea was that he was ill and poor,'and did not know what to do should receive three years’ hard labour, while Gust-Bateman, for stealing a much larger, sum, and having several previous convictions against him, was only son-, fenced to six months’ imprisonment?—l am, &c.' . LOVER OF JUSTICE.