CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 158, 1 March 1845, Page 206

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of th* Nelson Examiner. Sir— -Having just been made acquainted with the particulars of what appear* to me an extra' • ordinary stretch of power on the part of tins police authorities of this town, I take the liberty of sending them to you for publication. They are briefly these : —

A person named Middleten, whose goodn were a few days since distrained and sold for rent, finding it necessary to provide a place oi shelter for his houseless family, began (somewhat foolishly, perhaps) to erect a house on, a Government reserve. His late landlord happening to pass the spot, and observing what was going on, forthwith apprised the police magistrate of the circumstance. The man was sent for and ordered to desist. It appears there were already two houses on this same reserve, one of some standing, but of no very enviable notoriety, the other but recently put up. So the man remonstrated upon what he thought the injustice of being thus singled out, whilst in these and in so many other cases squatters were suffered to remain unmolested. But, as the Representative of Majesty would not venture to argue the matter, lest by so doing he should compromise his already diluted dignity, and as the man (having heard no reasons to the con* trary) imagined he had as good a right to squat on a reserve as another, the order was disregarded, and the house Buffered to be proceeded with until nearly completed. On Wedneada; r last, however, Middleson's son, whilst engagei I with the carpenter on the roof, espied a coupl s of constables making their way towards ths house. His father being absent, the boy descended and locked the door, prompted to d > so no doubt by some secret misgiving engendered by the sinister expression of the features of his visitors. The worthies drew near, an 1 then Saunders, the chief, with the pert imolenc B so truly characteristic of a Jack in office, order* i the door to be opened; but as he proceed no legal document authorizing him make such a demand, it was of course refused. He there - upon, with the coolest effrontery, wrenched the door from its hinges, whilst his deputy, desirou • of emulating his gallant chief, commenced a a attack upon the rafters of the roof! The above, sir, is the plain unvarnished facts of the case. Without the slightest wish to defend the practise of sqatting, I am neverthelec ■ anxious that the poorer class of settlers should haye — and should feel that they haye — the nn - tection of the laws to which they are themselvi s amenable. In a community like ours, this fee .- ing cannot, m my opinion, be too carefullycherished, for upon its existence must thb we 1 being and saf ty of all in a great measure d< k. penf. But is it probable, is it even postib! c that it can long exist, if such wanton outrago* as that described above are suffered to pass va »- noticed, the offenders to go unpunished r „ I remain sir, Your obedient servant, Nelson, Friday evening. - S. T. '