Correspondence.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1434, 22 June 1868, Page 4

Correspondence.

Ocr correspondence columns being open to all) we do not hold ourselTes responsible for any opinions expressed therein. Correspondents are requested to write only on one side ot the paper, and, to prevent mistakes, they should write us legibly as possible FRANKLIN ELECTION. To the Editor of the Herald. Sir, — Elightenment en the following questions would oblige me: — Would William Turnbull Swan vote in General Assembly for one central legislature for North Island, and one central legislature for South. Island ; the two said legislatures in lieu of, or in substitution for the existing unparallleled anomaly of ton legislatures for a miniature population of 300,000 ? Furthermore, will he, if asked, voto for a permissive bill, as follows, that every road board (or family board) shall be allowed to govern itßelf for itself, but not for other people ? Vot;s hang on answer.—l am, 4c., An Kieciob. June 19,1868.

To tie Editor of the Hebald. Sin,—ln your account of the " Breach, of the Distillation Act " is the following :—" The man Legget here advanced to Mr. Brookfield and whispered, to which Mr. Beveridge took objection, and after a little friendly sparring between tho two learned gentlemen, Air. Beveridge expressed his disgust at' such a scoundrel ' sitting near him. The Court, however, ordered Legget to remain in Court." Were it not that the reporters of the Hekaxd are so invariably correct, I could hardly believe it possible that such language could be used by a member of the bar towards a witness without being reprimanded by the Court. Such, however, has evidently not been the ease, or the circumstance would been duly chronicled by your reporter. In the Provincial Council, when unparliamentary language is indulged in by any of the members, it is immediately checked by the Speaker ; and I fancy that on such occasions the same duty is incumbent on th« magistrate presiding. In some it may be difficult to po nt out the line of demarcation where liberty ends and license begins, but the case above quoted ia certainly not one of them, and however humblo a position in life a man may occupy, it is certainly a very bad precedent for the Court to allow such language to be used towards him as a witness, without being reprimanded! —Yours, &c, CousTEsr. June 20,1868. +