STATUTORY RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3739, 25 September 1886, Page 3

STATUTORY RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The statutes of Now Zealand (says the | yapier Telri/ntjih) form numerous and bulky volumes, and an inspection of tlieni creates a feeling of surprise Unit so small a community should requiro so largo :in amount of law. Every year the statue book is added to more m a direction to increase tbe disabilities of the people than m removal of restrictions on their individual liberty. And it is a curious anomaly that the more liberal a Parliament may bo the more anxious it is to hedge ' round t ho person all sorts of guards for his protcclion against evil influences both moral und social. It would seem to be a principle of the hybrid liberalism wo bare adopted m the colonies, that mau cannot walk alone ; that to be a good eiti/en he must bo made to do this, and prevented from doing that, m the more minute details of his daily life. The Lrond demarcation of old between that which is good and bad, has been confused with that which is lawful and right and that which is wicked and immoral. Legislation, we *ftv, has done a great deal to rub out those old lines, that should be clearly deiined m every man's conscience, separating good from evil, till at length wo have almost arrived at tli'is position — we must go to n lawyer to find out what is right and what is wrong. Many an act that is perfectly harmless m itself is under our laws a criminal procedure, and, there can be no doubt about it, the tendency of our legislation is not to make men good, but to make them criminals. In the Government of communities gathered m towns there must certainly be restrictions to the liberty of the individual ; that is to say, the desires of the few must be subordinate* to the comfort of the many ; but it is not necessary for the good of a country that the legislature of the Stuto should be on the line? of municipal by-laws.