RUSSIAN JUSTICE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2403, 21 January 1880, Page 2

RUSSIAN JUSTICE.

Tho St. Petersburg correspondent of tho Times writes under date October 29 : " Wifo-boatera in England on leaving the uncongenial atmosphere of tho treadmill to which they havo bbon condemned by a sentimontal jury, who consider that hobnailed boots and sticks should not bo freely used in {porting tho husband's authority, may find consolation in tho fact that there are juries who view this matter in » different light, and who possess a just appreciation of the obodionco to bo shown by tho f weaker vessel' to her lord and master, The government of Volhynia, in the Empire of Russia, appears to artbrd peculiar advantages to those individuals wliobo wives occasionally require a little wholesome correction, if we are to bolievo tho aocount just published in tho Russian Press of a sage decision on this subject arrivod at by a district Court. Tho wife of a well-to-do peasant in tho district of Kromenotz addressed horsolf to tho court of tho Volost, or district, with a complaint against her husband, charging him with beating and torturing her and with keeping her in tho cold without food until she had noarly died of starvation. Ho had bound hor stark naked to a post in the street and requested tho passers-by to strjko her, which ho did himself each time they refused to do so, Tho inhuman brute had evon fastened hor down to the ground, and in suoh a position had heaped stones and heavy weights upon her body until ono of hor arms had been broken. When tho wifo's accusation was brought before tho local tribuual this specimen of domestic authority took fright and did nofc appoar to answer tho chargo j but neither his absence nor contempt of court prevented tho learned judges from ooming to an immediate? decision, Tho wife boater was found ' Not guilty,' on tho plea that a husband has the porfect right to boat his wife if ho so chooses, for, said the wise concession of tho Court, it oannot bo permitted to a wife to ignore the authority of her husband. But tho affair did not ond there. On the following day the huiband, emboldened through the geuerou*

acquittal by his poors, turned the tables on Itis ' bettor half ' by bringing a countercomplaint against hor biforo tlio name Court, and this oxcellont authority actually declared against the unfortunato woman, and by its salutary judgment she was actually flogged publicly thoro and then on tho spot in the most shameful manner. Of such extraordinary distribution of justice as this wo havo latoly had more than one examplo, and it shows plainly enough that tho now judioial tiihminln of Jlussm, from which so much was expoctod at tho beginning of tho prtsont n'ign, are in a vast number of cases qnito incapable of appreciating the dutioo which they are called upon to perform. It is hardly necessary to rocall attention to tho recon t case of the postman in St. Petersburg, whose youth and laziness obtained for him a full dischargo from tho compnssionato tribunal bofore which ho was arraigned for stealing lottors during a wholo twolvomonth. This flagrant caso, about which 1 wrote to you at tho timo, is about to undergo tho revision of a higher court, and it is to bo hoped that the decision of acquittal will be revorscd."