MAYOR AND MAGISTRATE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 11 April 1922, Page 7

MAYOR AND MAGISTRATE

SCENE A'l' nLENHRLAI COURTHOUSE MAYOR THREATENED WITH GAOL U is not often that so an opera! ion as the revision of the Jury hat <rives rise to move than an obscure newspaper paragraph, hut■ the meeting of justices held in Blenheim on V ri(lav for the purpose, resulted in a lieaied altercation between his Worship the ’Magistrate (Mr R. 1.. Rollings) ami his Worship the Mayor (Mr E. S, .Parker), which Inaily resulted in the Magistrate threatening the Mayor with seven days imprisonment at Pielnn Giuil. Unfortunately. no reporter was present at the meeting, hut it. was not dillieult later In the day to ascertain what hail taken place and The Express is able to present a. reasonably accurate report of the proceedings. It is customary, when the Bleniieim pny list, is being revised, lor the Justices of the Peace to meet round the table in the Coin (-room and to go over the list, comparing notes with one another and adding names to. or striking them from the list, according to their personal knowledge <4 the facts concerning the persons involved. On Friday, however, the Magistrate (Mr Hnllongs) put in an appearance at the meeting and took the seal on ;hc Pencil. At that stage the Mayor and Mr William Hodgson were the onlv J. p P. present, and the Magistrate invited them to sit with him on the Pencil. Knowing, however, that other Justices would he present, both gentlemen declined, stating that there would not he room for all of them on the Pencil. Mr W. J. Girling was the next to arrive and was immediately invited liv the Magistrate in sit with him on (he Pencil. Mr Girling did so. Later Mr I.i. G. Part let t put in'an appearance and business commenced. IPs Worship tin- Magistrate said he laid been through the list., and. as there were no objections lodged, it could he taken as formally read and signed. His Worslrip the Mayor objected, and said there were several names on the list of people who had left the dislriet, and he wanted them deleted. _ Similarly, there were other names whirl? should he added. In response to this, the Magistrate ordered the Clerk, of the Court to walk through the, eorridor calling for any objections to the list of jurors. Ni ne were forthcoming, but the Mayor entered an objection to Urn whole list, on the grounds that it had not been revised by the Justices. Tbc Magistrate declined to open the subject. staling that the list bad been (•pen for inspection for a fortnight and there were no objections. The Mayor, however, nersisted that

the meeting had been called, to revise the jnrv list, and insisted that the names should'he read: and after some wrangling, the Magistrate conceded the point and the Clerk ee.mmeneed to read the names. i After a while the name of a- man who had left the district was reached, and the Mayor moved that n he struck oh, for that reason. Mr Partlett said he, 100. was aware (hat the man in question had left the district. Tile .Magistrate asked Mr Parker i lif» was prepan'd t (| ii (l into tlif* box oihl take the oath and make a tormal objection to the man. Air Parker declined, stating that- he was present as a Justice of the Peace, and not as a witness, and lie declined lo go into the box. Some further words resulted, and Mr Parker iimllv left the meeting, stating (hat as (hey apparently could not do • the business lor which they had met, it was no use him staying. _ _ At the Magistrate's invitation. Mr Bartlett then entered the box and gave formal evidence regarding the name o> jeeted to; hut the Magistrate rule! th.d it should he sustained in the hsi- Gy want, of support of Mr Parlle.lt s cm uence. The reading of Hie list was proceeded with slowly, and on one occasion the name of a dead man was reached, but Ibo Magistrate declined to delete it with out evidence from the Registrar o! 1 loath ft. , Mr HartlcH was still in the box giving evidence in regard to a new arrival in the district, whom it. was desired to include in the list, when the Mayor reappeared with a copy of the Statutes under his arm. Meantime, nearly an hour had passed and no progress had been made, (be "P's” in Hie list not yet baying been disposed of, .and Hie Justices and Magistrate decided to lake, the list as read and to sign it. The .Mayor look the first opportunity after his reapearance to movay the adjournment- of the meeting lor a tort night, stating Hint be did so under the provisions of Section 21 of Hie Juries Act-, which lie proposed to read. Tim Magistrate; You needn't read that. I. knew Hint part ol Hie law before you were horn. The Mayor; 1 don’t care, if you did. 1 am going to read it. The Mayor did read Hie section, lint the Magistrate refused to accept the motion that the meeting ho adjourned. The Mayor appealed to the oilier J.’s I*. to take a vole on the question. The Magistrate (angrily): Vcm ' mustremember (bat. you are not on the Pench. The Mayor (heatedly): Well. I'll come up on Hie Pench if you like. The Magistrate. If you do. I'll give you a week in Picton! Tin- Mayor: it’s no use my slopping here. I'll leave the meeting. Tite Mayor then left the meeting, ignoring calls after him by the Magistrate. “I’d just, like yon to remember that this is not Hie Council*Chamber,” was Hie Magistrate’s parting shot. The jury list was signed and the meeting dispersed. Arising out of the incident, a reporter learnt that the (Mayor lias written to the Magistrate, formally objecting to the list being signed without revision and taking exception to the Magistrate’s threat to give him a week in Picton "for being legitimately present at a Justices’ meeting,” as the -Mayor puts it.