THE COURSE OF JUSTICE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9547, 30 September 1902, Page 2

THE COURSE OF JUSTICE.

A queer stoiy concerning the Premier's regard for the law was told by Mr J. Hutchiiisoii in the House. It was as follows : Once upon a time a seaman on a ship which was on the point of sailing from Wellington never to return committed a crime, was arrested, and ultimately ".sent up" for live years. But the seaman was a foreigner" and when he came out of gaol he would be an "undesirable immigrant," and/ the Customs refused to clear the ship unless the captain entered into a bond of £100 to defray. the cost of sending the man back to his distant country. To this the captain objected, as lie was never likely to see New Zealand again and had been compelled to pay off the man, who had been picked up in a foreign part only because no one better could be obtained. At length it was decided to appeal to Caesar, in the person of the Premier, who at one* suggested an easy way out of the difficulty. "Get a bond of £50 signed by anyone and I'll see you are never troubled further about it," was his proposal, but neither the ca.ptain nor the agent sceeined to think this was good enough, and suggested in turn that when the convict did come out of gaol he might refuse to leave the colony. "Oh, we can easily settle that," replied Mr Seddon. ''Let him out a few months before his time is up and tell him that if lie is seen about here in another week he will be locked up again. That will be enough for him." Finally an arrangement was arrived at that the captain should deposit with the Customs an endorsed' cheque for a sum. very much less than £100, and the ship was cleared and left. The House did not seem a bit surprised at the revelation. It knows the Premier's little ways.