THE ROBERTS CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6381, 29 October 1888, Page 3

THE ROBERTS CASE.

GAOLER O'BRIEN DISRATED. PUBLIC MEETING AT LYTTELTON. On Satnrday night the Colonists' Hall, Lyttelton, was well filled on the occasion of the meeting called to protest againßt the action of the Government in disrating Chief Gaoler O'Brien through the escape of the convict Jonathan Roberts in June-* last. The meeting was the outcome of a requisition signed hy a large number of ■ residents of the Port, and presented' to HisWorship the Mayor. - • - • Mr S. R. Webb, Mayor, was voted toth&l chair. He read two letters he had received,, one from the Ray J. Hill, and the other from the Rev G. Bond. Both gentlemen^ regretted being unable to be present, andi expressed sympathy with Mr O'Brien: in the turn affaire had taken. Mr Webb proceeded : — They had met for the purpose of protesting against the injustice the Government had done to Gaoler O'Brien. When they thought an injustice was being done to any pnblic officer their feeling was roused. In the present case they considered that the action taken was wrong, and their purpose was to endeavour to have it pnt right. Gaoler O'Brien had been a civil servant for a great many years, and no fault had ever been found with him. Even if Mr O'Brien had done wrong in the matter of the escape of Roberts,. he (the speaker) did not* think that justice had been done. In all matters connected with the conduct of public officers, the enquiryshould be public, so that the taxpayers might be in a position to say whether or not justice was being done. This he meant, of course, to refer to all the departments. It was for the meeting to "-take what steps they deemed- prudent. He asked for expressions of opinion. Dr T. O. Guthrie, J.P., said they had come there to protest against the gross injustice that was about to be done. When they saw a man who had served for twentytwo years, a man who bad done good service, service which had time after time been acknowledged by the Government ; when they saw a man treated as Mr O'Brien wa3 about to be treated, he thought human nature would not allow the thing to go by without.some protest. Was a third of a lifetime of conscientious dnty to go for nothing? It appeared so, at any rate with the Government. There appeared to be no doubt that Mr O'Brien had done his duty. (Hear, hear.) He could speak of his own knowledge in this matter, for he had been connected with the gaol in a semi-official manner for some time, and was struck by the able way in which affairs were-managed. (Hear, hear.) He considered it was agross act of injustice to degrade an able officer after twenty-two yeara of faithful service. It wa3 their duty to firmly and respectfully protest against such an injustice. He would say no more, but wouldmove — "That it is the opinion of this meeting that the action of the Government in removing Gaoler O'Brien from, Lyttelton and degrading him to a secondclass gaol, after twenty - two yearß of .faithful service, was not justified by the circumstances arising out of the escape of' the prisoner Jonathan Roberts from Ripa Island, and consider that a further in-- ' vestzgafcion of the case is desirable in the-* interest of the Civil Service of the Colony before any action is taken." The Rev E. E. Chambers had much, pleasure in seconding the motion. Of his own personal knowledge he knew thatMr O'Brien was an able officer. He had frequently asked discharged prisoners as to their treatment, and they had always spoken inthe highest possible manner of the treatment received from Mr O'Brien. With regard to the act of injustice, he. could- endorse every word that Dr Guthxiehad said, lt was common talk about the town that the present action was the outcome of some political feeling. He hoped such was not the case. If it was, he pitied the man who had brought it about, for action of that sort always, reacted. Mr *J. Joyce said some remarks of the last speaker rather astonished him. Was it supposed for one moment that the Minister for Justice would degrade his, position to such an extent as to receive a suggestion from any man on such a subject ? < For his own part he knew nothing of the matter until last Tuesday night, when he was on his way to Christchurch. The Rev Chambers: I must rise to a* point of order, Mr Chairman. Mr Joyce appears to be fitting the cap to -his own j head. I never mentioned his name in connection with the matter. Mr Joyce: Oh, thafs all moonshine. Ho could tell them this much: he had only put the statement of Mr Chambers' alongside of some remarks that had been made to him that evening by Mr Malcolmson. The thing was clear enough. Was he expected to sit there and wait until his name was mentioned ? Certainly not. Did those who were moving in the j matter know the facts of the case P Mr j Beetham and Mr Westenra some time ago had been requested to make a report to the Government on the case in question, and he would like to know whether or not the meeting knew the contents of that report. He felt certain they were working in the dark. He felt sorry for Mr O'Brien in the matter, but he considered the \ present step ill-advised. He intended to do what he could in his own way, and; hoped to be successful. Mr Nalder did not agree with the lastspeaker that the meeting was a wrong step. If some immediate action was not taken, Mr O'Brien would have to go at once. An injustice like that being done to - the gaoler, reflected not only npon. him, but upon the Civil Service as a whole. To degrade a man after so many years' faithful service, and reduce his salary by something like £80 or £100 a year, was a - great injustice. Perhaps they did not know all the facts of the case, but they knew that until now Mr O'Brien had not -been fonnd fault with ; and now the fault was that he had committed an error of judgment. Well, even if he had, how many men* went through life without com- , mitting an error of judgment ? But from what he understood of the case Mr O'Brien had not even done that. It had been said thafcßobertsshould not have been sent ontof the gaol to work; but from his knowledge of the prison regulations, he thought all long sentenced men were to be sent out. The motion was then" put* and- carried, unanimously. The Chairman said it w_a*f orvthe^meet*' iug'to-decide how the Government'-fere^o be made acquainted with the opinion expressed. Mr Malcolmson proposed thatthe Chairman be asked to telegraph the resolution to the Acting-Minister for Justice early on Monday morning. This -waa seconded hj Mr Dimond. Mr T. Cooper considered they were ignoring their member in the matter. He would move, as an amendment, "That Mr Joyce, M.H.R., be asked to send the. message to the Government." I Mr Malcolmson withdrew his. motion,, and Mr Cooper's, on being put to the.; meeting, was carried. Mr Joyce v-saidhe'WonldHcarry'Out-their* wish, and he wonld leave it to them to decide, by his action, wist werehis feelings in the matter. He would, undertake to do hiß very best for Mr, 'O'Brien. A-vote^f^thanks toithe-Ch airinwi^hjtfaiM ■tho-jprocee^ngs." " «,^^|