JURY LIST.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 38, 21 February 1846, Page 2

JURY LIST.

On Monday, the 2nd of March, the Supreme Court resumes its sittings for the trial of criminal cases; but, as yet, no Jury List has been published, in the Gazette, in accordance with the '' Jury Amendment Ordinance/ passed on the 13th January, 1844. How far this neglect may affect the trial of any causes, or their verdicts, if carried to a jury, under such circumstances, we leave to the discussion of the gentlemen of the long robe; but we place the fact before our readers and the public, in order to draw attention to this culpable negligence in the department of the Colonial Secretary. The clause in the Ordinance, to which we have referred^ for "Formation of Jury List/ is as follows :—: — " The Police Magistrate in every district or comity, shall, on the Ist day of February, in this and every succeeding year, or as soon thereafter nb may be, call a special meeting of the Justices of the Peace,' residing within 20 miles of the Police office, for the purpose of forming a Juty list; the Justices at such meeting, (any two forming a quorum), shall prepare a list in alphabetical order, of all men residing within such limits as aforesaid, who shall be'qualified and liable to serve as Jurors, setting forth the chi;ibtian and sm name of each at full length, together with his place of abode, and culling or business. The Police Magistrate shall forthwith cause a copy thereof to be published in one or more of t the Newspapers of the district or county, and shall also cause a copy thereof to be affixed upon the pi incipal doois of the Police office ; and to such lists and copy thereof, shall subjoin a notice, that all objections thereto, will be heard and determined by him, at any time within ten da)s after such meeting as aforesaid." The Ordinance then continues to enact, that after, such notices having been properly given, and the. Police 'Magistrate has heard, within ten .days, all objections, the corrected list is to be transmitted to the Sheriff, and to be called the "Jury List," and to be used for one year thence next ensuing. ' It will be seen by the words of die clause that the Police -Magistrate is to cause a copy of the Jury List to , be published in one or more of the newspapers ; but since the Government have become their own printers, their .Gazette, however limited the circulation, lias been - considered a newspaper tor all such purposes —and the Colonial Secretary having the control and management of the Government Printing Office, it is the duty of the Police Magistrate to transmit a copy of the list to him, by which he certainly fulfils his 1 duty enforced by the enactment of causing it, to , be published. In the year 1814— the ordinance having passed on the 13th January — the Government Gazette of the 3rd February, contained a copy of the Jury List, with a notice, dated 2nd February, from the Police Magistrate, 1 Mr. Felton Mathew, stating thftt he would sit on the 6th of February to, hear appeals. In the year 1845, the Gazette of the Bth February contained a copy of the Jury List, with a notice, dated the 4th Feb , from Mr. J. J. Symonds, then Police Magistrate, stating that he would hear appeals on-the 13th February. In 1846, the only notice to the public of a Jury List has been that which was

affixed upon the principal door of the Police office on the 3rd February, and "remained there until the 13th February. It is thus that the administration of Government is conducted in this colony. It has been ever one series of blunder and mismanagement.— 'Really it is most truly lamentable, that at this juncture the direction and control of our colonial affairs should be, by the absence of the Governor, in the hands of the present Colonial Secretary, of whose inefficiency for such position and duties, we consider the above circumstance not the only evidence and proof.