JURYMEN EXCUSED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3437, 17 April 1879, Page 2

JURYMEN EXCUSED.

No fewer than five persons, who had been summoned to serve on the petty jury yesterday, were excused. One pleaded that he was deaf in ooe ear. Baa Honor remarked that the Oourt wm a bad place for a deaf man to come to. Another pleaded that he had to work at night on a mornm f P a P er - Hi » Honor said that tho law did not exempt people connected with newspapers ; he did not know fchat ifc would be a bad thing if ifc did. If it were a question of inconvenience only, everyone might beg to be excused, but whero a person's avocationt rendered him incompetent to act aB a juryman during the day, perhaps lie might be excused. Another pleaded thafc he was an American citizen, and hud not been natur* alised in Now Zealand, though residing here for four years. His Donor Yield fchafc he was not privileged to serve on the jury. A fourth pleaded that he was a native of Jersey, and though ho had resided in Now Zealand for five years, mistrusted his knowledge of English. Though English was spoken in soino parts of Jersey, ho had resided for years whore he never heard a word in that language. The fifth pleaded that he was managing a threshing machine, and his absence would cause all those who worked with him to be idlo whilst he was detained. He had been engaged for the Bcaßon as manager of the machine, his engagement having been entered into before he received the summons.