OUR COLONIAL' J.P.'s.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 369, 27 June 1884, Page 2

OUR COLONIAL' J.P.'s.

Sir. — In your issue of the/2iith I see a letter- bearing, upon the Gore Magistracy. 'From' 'fhe reading of that letter 1 came td ! remember a question that ivas raised in the House of Commons last year, enquiring into the moral status of the Australian Magis" : trates. A similar enquiry regaYd^ag New Zealand (but to omit Gore, w-hi&h ivould be uncalled for) 'would prove interesting and salutary, Th© rapidity and the number of

promotions to the Bench in our midst is certainly most consoling and flattering to tb,e moral charact er of I our itight litt I c v|i) £*ge. I hope none of your reaiers. will interpret"tight" in a bad, sense^ Th'js btate of

things pvAorerfpxojbJly,^eqaUs to ,my memoyy a similar r state of things in the Old Country,- ■ -History repeats itself. There was grentf'mulaUou^mqngjthe snobocracy to get a handle to their names, and all the powers of heaven and earth were moved to obtain it. One morning, a shower of promor tions came",, in v.by' ; the mail^ an<^ %\ iQ .whole county swarmed with Qne of these ydurig fledglm^ chanced to meet his clergyman, \yh;6, \y is. mounted on • a most "«uperb ;i tUo|aughb,i-edi hoxs% ; ancl he said to, himseJt— l vs.il 1 p^t his, Iteverence on his trial, and see whether • it- is legal according to .'Chr|s J {ida teaching- for him to be in possession of.'snch : .d nobb animal.; " Good - morning yoiit Reverence," said the 'amateur J.P. " Good morning," kindly replied. h.iA Reverence. " How r comes it," saJj.4 thel juv-enile Beak,'",' that 'your Bevervftea' ep^ea 'to ride . such a beaulifaV '\fIXBQ. when youji 1 Divine Master o^lj. on. &n. jiss," The reverend tgeutle^au,.. who \t-iis famous .at 'repartee, quiolly rentarlced, •'•' My jrood friend^,' that is very easily cxplaineJ. You see that all, the asses throughout thp country afesvvorn'in to he

J.PV''uifl nothing is left for us to' rid© but ouv thordughbreds." The jok.© gr^n.ed:' " such notoriety that, all fehe ctfee jjeapectabSe staff, of •■ Magistrates re^ne.d &i- mf^.s-n Thovc. i& noth:ingm.qrp prp.ba^l-a tha^ that we .will also jlmvc. a rcsiguatioii of tbo ma«is- '■ tratcs. ojE Ne.w goalzuid 6-/t masse: ; °

iM. M. Mount Pegasus,. Otama, June 26th. ;,