TOWN EDITION. GORE: THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1896. THE GREAT UNPAID.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 118, 2 April 1896, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. GORE : THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1896. THE GREAT UNPAID.

Thebe has been an enquiry held lately in Melbourne into the administration of justieo by Justices of the Peace— justices' justice, as it is commonly called. Tbe cause of tbe enquiry by the Board koown as "The Lormer Enquiry Board," is not a matter of much concern to us in New Zealand, but the results us given by cable on Monday are decidedly interesting. We must quote a portion of the message in order to make our comments intelligible. The Board find " that llappiport was guilty of corruption in receiving bribes, gifts, and privileges from persona Lkely to be tried by him. Rappiport and Baxter were also guilty of combining to devise meaas to defeat the administration of justice by aclinp; together in tho interests of persons they yvoro likely to try. Bird is found guilty in several cases of acting in the interests of one of the litigating parties and adjudicating in courts where he did not sit in the interests of women of illfam6 with whom he had immoral relations. The Board also found that Baxter on several occasions vi-ited brothels. With reforence to the charge against Lormer tbe Board found — 'That he sat id cases whore ho had a strong bias or prejudice ; that ho acted improperly in so doiDfr, but that ho was unconscious of any impropriety in so doing.' With regard to the general charge of bench-packing, tho Biarl find Magistrates had migrated from one court to another, but in doing so wore unconscious of any impropriety." This shows very clearly the situation which ha« resulted from some justices' justice in Victoria, and it only comes as a natural corollary that tho Board made a recommendation " that appp"intments of Justices of Peace should be made by a special Board or Judge of tbe Supreme Court, independent of political influence, and that in Melbourne and other populous districts only Stipendiary Magistrates should adjudicate." The trouble in no part of New Zealand is as yet so aggravated as in Melbourne, but there is considerable danger ahead, and some already incurred. This "Liberal" Government whioh the Colony is at present enj >yine — or which is at present enjoying the Colony — has exercised to the full the policy of " spoils to tho victors," and the result has been the creation of a very fair percentage of Justices of the Peace, who have hardly any qualifications at all for that position. And it will not be long, wo suppose — for the Government have not long to live — before another batch of right-colorod individual's are let loose upon the country with power and authority to sit in judgment om the people. la a scattered community like that of New Zealand it ip, of course, absolutely necessary that some honorary magistrates must be available. That "justice shall not be denied nor delayed to any man " was a principle established by Britons about seven hundred years ago, and adhered to as closely as possible ever since. Bat it has become very clear that justice is not to be depended upon as the natural outcome of the deliberation of Magistrates appointed through political influence for political reasons. It is hardly wise, perhaps, that on a Judge of th 9 Supreme Court should be cast the onus of making Justices of the Peace, but it is distinctly desirable that some means should be devised, if possible — and the difficulty would undeniably be great — of cutting the appointments clear of political influence.