The Evening Herald. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1871.

Wanganui Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1111, 8 March 1871, Page 2

The Evening Herald. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1871.

The Governor's sensations at being in danger when the Clio struck upon the rock, could only bo equalled by the Governors sensations Avhcn he found he was on terra firma again. Sir George telegraphed his safe delivery from the stormy billows, -with the devout expletive, " Thank God, there is no damage !" What did he moan by no damage ? . The vessel had received a hole in her side below the water line and was filling so rapidly, in spite of the pumps, that if she had not been careened she must have sunk iv a short space of time. Ho could not have meant by "no damage," something less than total loss, for the telegram had stated the circumstances. There is oiily one reasonable supposition, and that is that Sir George findin"himself safe, and considering himself the Queen's representative, expressed by a simple phrase the sublime importance which was to be attached to an event involving clanger to so great a personage. Wo should indeed be sorry to sec any catastrophe happen to |tho person of Sir George, save that minor catastrophe, the loss of his salary. Our want of reverence, however, is such that wo do not consider' the Governor more sacred or more indispensable than any other man in the community. It is necessary to recognise the' fact that he does estimate Irbnsclf very highly, considering his safety of supreme importance to his family and the Colony. Wo all remember that at the time of Tito's war ho enquired how far his lodgings in Wanganui were from the the station of the 18th Royal Irish. His exalted consideration for his office approaches sublimity. If ho were a kin"' ho would bo one of the most determined sticklers for "Divine Eight." "KinoWilliam thanks his God" in the field where the blood of many thousands had, a few hours before, been offered as a libation to the demon of war. Why then, it might be asked, should not that other believer in the Divinus Jus, the Knight Grand Cross of St Michael, also thank Ins God as a public ceremony ? These.open expressions of thanks to the Almighty are either conventional or they are intended as a public service and in. either sense are objectionable' Sir George Bowen has no more privilege" in "wiring" his thanks to his God than any telegraphic agent has; and are we to have all our communications and biisiuess- operations interspersed with this pharasaical muttering of prayors in public places ? A man, though he may feel them devoutly, need not be always

expressing the religious emotions of his heart. A daw is not a religious bird, because ho keeps a cawing from a steeple., wrote Tom Hood ; and a man is not religious because ho is always muttering cant phrases and breaking the third commandment.

The good people of Marfcon have a just ground of complaint about the way jusface is administered there. The time is not long past whon it was utterly impossible to find two justices to sit on the bench on a Court day, the reason assigned being that one of the justices had become so unpopular with his brother jxxstices that they declined sitting with him. A now roll was gazetted, and the name of the unpopular justice was, we think, unfairly omitted. But the course of j .justice oven after this did not run smooth. The justices seemed quite as unpunctual as ever, and as disinclined to do their duty. Our correspondent complains that on the last Court day there was only one justice present, thus causing suitors, who had come from_ all parts of the district, to go bacli with their cases unheard. The remedy is in the hands of the Government. We can quite understand why Mr Pox should be diffident about making an appointment, which, from local circumstances, might be used to his prejudice. But there are times when public duty requires such acts to be done, and then it does not become the part of those in authority to pause. Mr A. Ross was recently appointed Resident Magistrate at Otaki. Now if his jurisdiction were simply extended to include Marton, it would not depend on the inclination of any man to frustrate the cause of justice. Wo trust the Government will at once adopt measures to remove the source of a great public inconvenience.