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New Zealand Mail, Issue 957, 4 July 1890, Page 16

It is said, that a special Providence watches over children and drunken men. We must now add to the category Judges about whose appointments there are doubts. For example, Mr Justice Edwards has been the cause of some anxiety and great strife for a few months. The result of the strife is that there is hardly a creature in either island of New Zealand but has some sort of doubt of the validity of the appointment. The Government who appointed him are convinced that there is no doubt at all. And, to show the strength of their conviction, they introduce a Bill to validate his appointment. At the same time they conceive the fantastic idea of getting the Judge to preside in the Supreme Court at Nelson. Why they should have selected Nelson—unless they thought that the lawyers of *• oieepy Hollow ’ were notsharp and biting like other lawyers—we cannot understand. But Providence has been kind. Sleepy Hollow, instead of responding by absence of criticism, has responded by an absence of crime. There was only one case, and that case has,

in deference to the tender conscience of Sleepy Hollow, been sent to trial elsewhere. The Judge gets a pair of white gloves and a complimentary speech from the sheriff; and if the Government does not bless the special Providence which has looked after its interests it will he ungrateful indeed.

The Maori warrior of old described Sir George Whitmore with more freedom than politeness. He likened the movements of the colonial commauder to those of the humble insect that makes life a burden chiefly to the lower classes. Science has measured the springing power of this insect with great accuracy —what it is precisely we have for the moment forgotten. The point, however, is that the Maori observer—and they were observers those old Maoris—likened the movements of the General to the springings of this insect. It was a high compliment ; it meant in fact that the General defeated the enemy (his critic) by great rapidity and unexpected suddenness of movement. We compliment the General on the past. But we do not think that his past entitles him as a private member of the Upper House to lead an attack on the Constitution of this country. A stranger casually reading the reports of proceedings might, if left to his unaided intelligence, imagine that the General is not only Commander of the Forces and Vice-Admiral of the Fleet, but chief of the Parliament, and arbiter of all our destinies. In all these capacities he is directing the policy of the Legislative Council. Nobody can object to his motion about the business of the Council during a no-confidence debate “in another place.” But when it comes to altering the Constitution of the Council, we can only say “ Hands off, General.”

Mr Cole having got a verdict in the Supreme Court, may be said to have escaped with more or less of a fright. Mr Cole’s superiors ought, nevertheless, to consider very carefully the question of punishment in the schools which has been raised. Any medical man will tell them that there are two things a schoolmaster ought not to do. He ought not to beat children on the hands, and he ought not on any account to box their ears. -Dotil customs are time-honoured, hut nevertheless bad. Of course there is no question of boxing ea’s as far as Mr Cole is concerned. We only mention the matter, as ears have been boxed and may be boxed again by other people. You may box the ears of hundreds of boys before you do irreparable injury to one. And you may cane many hands before depriving a child of his thumb and his livelihood, killing two poor birds, as it were, with one stone. But no one has any right to run risks, however remote, when the consequences are of such terrible possibility. We do not, for one moment, say that the jury was wrong in Mr Cole’s case. But ive do say that every schoolmaster who canes 011 the hand is as wrong as he who boxes the ears of his pupils. The Board of Education ought to regulate these things better. Have the members any brains ?

It is not difficult to believe the cabled statement that Mr Hean’s report of the position of the Bank of New Zealand has very greatly reassured the London Directors. The advance in the quoted price of the shares is corroboration enough, for anyone who is unprejudiced. Mr Hean is a banker of New Zealand experience, who gained his experience in opposition to the Bank of New Zealand. He was like an arbitrator taken out of the enemy’s camp. H;s verdict is therefore the verdict of a very impartial authority. A good many critics among us wender how Mr Hean or anybody else could have valued the properties in the time. But that is hardly likely to be the feeling in the minds of the men who sent Mr Hean to make the valuation. We should not now- be surprised to learn that the difficulties surrounding the famous question of moving the Bank’s headquarters are much less than they were.

Sir George Grey is in front once more, like a man who takes his own line across country. Having discovered that the Representation Act provides that the electoral rolls cannot 1 e made up before the sth of October, the day on which the present Parliament expires, he sets to work to protest against the delay. To give his pro.est practical effect, he has a little Bill, which he lias by the Speaker’s leave introduced. He hopes the House will pass it. So do we. Two months are worth gainiug.