MEDICAL MEN AND JURIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 323, 1 January 1863, Page 5

MEDICAL MEN AND JURIES.

[To the Editor of the Dailtc Tim,bs.) Sin, —A somewhat peculiar case, anl one which I think should be made piibHo. has occurred with re- .;.• f. rtince to myself and Mr Gillies, the Sheriff of.Otago. " It has piacel me on the horns of a dilemma, from which the t-heriff could easily nnd reasonably have extricated me, but which, from some reason or another, he has refused to di.

I must premise hy statiup, that I, 8. E. R. Jones, am a legally qualified physicim, surgeon, and apothecary ; that 1 have heeu properly parsed and Gazetted in Victoria, that I have my diplomns in my possession at the pr-sent time, and that I have been duly Gazette! in the New Zealand Guzc'.tc as a legally qualified practitioner. Being thus legally qualified to follow my profession and legally authorised to demand my fes in any case which might come within my notice, I was.so,me\vhat surprised at receiving- a notice from the Sheriff to attend the court on such and tuch i*day to serve in the capicity of a juror. Thinking-. it probable tliat Mr Gillies might i.ot have been aware that I was a ilnly qualified surgeon and physician, I called upon him and explained how incompatible such a summons was with the obligation tak- n by Burgeons and physicians when passing for their degrees. But to my surprise, Mr Gillies refused to roleasi; me from a.tteu 'ance, and absurdly argued that because I was following another business, I was not entitled to the privileges enjoyed by tha me i'al profession. A similar case but with a. different termination occurred to me in Victoria in the yi'ar 1853. I was summoned, when, on Bendigo to attend <he court at. Oastlemaine. I attended, aiid when placed in the jury box explained how impossible it. was for mo to take the oath. Mr Justice A'ttectott v/as presiding at the time (in contradistinction to the course pursued by Mr Gillies), released me from attendance on precise'y the same grounds w,hich I state! to the Sheriff here. I should feel obliged if you could inform me howr lam to act. That 1 shall be committed for contempt' of court for refusing to take the oath is certain; but as I cannot take the juror's oath without committing a decided moral perjury, I think it will be preferable to allow myself to bo committed for contempt, than to adopt the worse evil to which Mr Gillies' w.liimsical fancies would drive me. The horns of the dilemma. are certainly tharp ones, and I do not ««• how, if Mv Gillies persists in his decision, I am to b« gored by. one or the olher. I am, Sir, ' Yours respectfully, &. E. R. Jonzs, Provincial and Commercial Hotels. Dnnedin, 31st Dec, 18S2.

The Wavganui Chronicle says:—"By th& overland mail we have received later intelligence from Taranaki. The JJerald publishes the answer of the Government to the questions put'to Mr Domett. Five hundred immigrants are to be introduced from Europe. "No opportunity willjte lost for. reiitoring the settlement; but it ia act prudeut to say more."'