South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1884.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3489, 11 June 1884, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1884.

We sincerely trust the trading community will lay to heart the weighty remarks of His Honor Mr Justice Johnston on the subject of forged cheques in the course of his address to the Grand Jury yesterday. His Honor remarked upon the prevalence of the crime of forgery in this colony, ami added that judging from the most reliable data, he bad no hesitation in saying that forgery was twenty times as common (in proportion, of course, to the population) as in the Old Country, and that this prevalence was clue, in a great measure, to the facilities which the culpable recklessness of the traders afforded to the dishonest. It was astonishing how readily traders cashed cheques signed by a person, or purporting to be signed by a person, with whose proper signature they were not acquainted, or at best were but imperfectly acquainted—and presented by asual callers or customers. No ere can deny that the learned Judge had abundant reason for bis remarks, for the crime of forgery is indeed alarmingly common, and it is obvious that the growth of any evil must be due to more than one cause. The deep truth of Milton’s exclamation, is perhaps rarely appreciated : “ How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds, make ill deeds done.’’ It is high time honesty looked to itself and made sure that it is not contributing to the growth of dishonesty.

The first specimen of intimidation we have ever observed in the Borough Council was on view on Monday evening, during the horse-trough discussion. The motion to erect public horse-troughs in various parts of the town was opposed on the ground of expense ; and the Councillor who had succeeded in depriving the publicans of the free supply to their troughs (after an agreement had been entered into, by which the publicans had vested their troughs in the Council, thereby making them public troughs) now urged that if the Council objected to spend money on the erection of the new troughs he was advocating, he would use his influence to get a free trough supply for all the publicans and thereby deprive the Council of a large quota of revenue. If this was not intimidation, we should like to know its proper name. Seriously, this sort of thing is no longer merely puerile—it is unjustifiable. The Council has bungled terribly over this horse-trough question, and the indiscreet zeal of certain members has run the Council into a very unpleasant position. Nothing could be clearer than that the Council accepted the vesting in themselves of the publicans’ troughs, in return for a free supply of water—yet a week or two after, the agreement is knocked on the head ! What would be thought of ordinary people who entered into bonds and tore them up next day ? We never advocated giving the publicans a free supply. The water is a very important part of the Council’s estate, and it ought not to be wasted, none of it ought to be dispensed gratis. But when an agreement was entered into to give free water, we maintain that it should have been adhered to for at least twelve months. Any infringement, or arbitrary cancelment of it is lowering to the dignity of the Council, and we sincerely regret it, for it has given rise to a new and unpleasing tone in debate, and a not very creditable sort of administration.

The state of parties now is interesting, and affairs are in just this condition that nobody knows what may happen yet, and is prepared for anything. Even the “ Herald’s ” own correspondent, who is usually “ great on prophesy ” dc ! not give us anything but a string of possibilities that are more or less probable. So far as we can judge, however, Mr Steward has rather distinguished himself in his speech in support of his “nc confidence motion.” His speech was well thought out, and eminently discreet and therefore formidable. It is the best Opposition key-note that has yet been struck, and although Mr Steward may not become an Opposition leader this speech of his will assuredly be accepted as setting forth the Opposition’s Apologia pro vita sua, perhaps better than it has yet been set forth, Mr Steward is just the sort of cold-blooded anatomist to calmly dissect the Government. There are crushers and annihilators, but the Cabinet can easily fortify itself against these. There is no defence against a cool, skilful carver, however, and such is Mr Steward. At present the member for Waimate sits at the head of the Opposition table before the Government bird, and already his keen blade has begun to play about its joints, and if Mr Steward plays a good knife and fork throughout this crisis, he will assuredly be rewarded in the sweet and fast-approaching “ bye-and-bye.” People who understand politics, however, cannot refrain from smiling at the presumption of the Opposition whip in jumping into the position of Opposition leader without the consent of his party. In our opinion Mr Steward’s action is calculated to keep the Government more firmly in their seats during the session.