THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2790, 7 January 1873, Page 2

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

The Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court opened yesterday. The proceedings do not call for much comment, if we except the charge by the Chief Justice, which is in itself a volume. His Honor evidently has had a very queer set of depositions before him, when he felt called upon to lecture " country justices, who are " also coroners," as he has done. Let us hope that hereafter greater care will be exercised in taking depositions, and that if the justices are incapable they will secure the services of some one who is qualified to take them. The Chief Justice has something also to say against " self-will," which is the out-come of the feeling of strong " self-reliance " in the colony. It is a mistake to suppose that drunkenness, on the present occasion, bad anything material to do with the criminal record; it was "self-will," begotten of" self-reliance," that did the mischief. There may be a good deal of truth in the generalisation of the Chief Justice, up to a certain point; but with all respect to his very great experience in matters of this kind, we think a fallacy underlies his argument. In like manner, his remarks on the subject of education appear to our mind to be fallacious. It appears that nearly all on the criminal record have had the advantage of elementary instruction. But then, "elementary education," although it may " sharpen the wits, does not " deeply instruct or improve the " niiud." Therefore, it is to be hoped, His Honor remarks, that a& a consequence of recent legislation upon the subject of education, " the future race " in the colony will take a higher " stand morally as well as mentally " than at present prevails." But highclass education is calculated to develop a feeling of self-reliance, and self-reliance begets self-will, aud selfwill issues in crime : wherefore a highclass education, instead of producing moral and mental excellence, produces crime. But so also does elementary education (at least in the colony) ; by which it follows, from the charge of the Chief Justice, that crime is the direct result of education, whether restricted or liberal. This we altogether deny. The moving cause of crime must be sought for otherwise than in education. "Were ii; our present purpose we might indicate many of these from the calendar itself. As we differ from His Honor in his conclusions, we feel bound to state the fact. We seldom find occasion to dispute any opinion coming ( from Sir George Arney ; but when an occasion arises, it is our duty to state our mind.