THE LATE RIOT

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1319, 6 May 1905, Page 2

THE LATE RIOT

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—ln common with many other lawabiding citizens, I am pleased to see the 'law vindicated, and although the punish- ' ment in the opiniou of some people was not sufficiently severe, yot I think the Justices acted wisoly in erring, if anything, on the side of motey, Tho onormity of ; the offonco is fully rcoogni ed .by the law of the land, and drastic punishment is provided in the Criminal Oode Act of New • There seems to be sorno doubt as to the duties of Justices of Poace. Thoy are defined under three clear heads -the first fe'spooting the prevention, the seoond the; suppression, and the third tho punishment of breaches of the poace. It is further provided thai a Justice of the Poaco must do all bo can to suppress af- i frays, It may be interesting to learn that ' a riot is an unlawful assembly which has. begun to disturb the peace tumultuously., Every member of an unlawful assembly is liable to one yoar'B imprisonment. Every ■' riotor is liablo to two year's imprisonment with hard labour. Further, "It is the duty of overj Justice of the Peace. who has notioed within his jurisdiction persons to the number of twelve or more unlawfully, riotously and tumultuoualy assembled together, to the diatarbance of tbe public peace, to resort to the place where such tumultuous assembly is, and cause to be made a proclamation ' : ' in those words or to a like effect:—" Gur > ' Sovereign Lord the King chaigeth and oommandoth all persons being assembled immediately to disperse and peacably to depart to their habitations or to their : ■ lawful business, upon pain of being guilty ' ■" of an offence on oonvio ion of which they afty be sontenoed to imprisonment with 1 hard labour for lifo. God Save the King I" ' • Such is the law of the land, and it is"so ,> iong since ahch a course of action has been!* found necessary, that it is as well that rising generation should have some idea " f that it is not & noble thing to take paft in ■ riotous proceedings, 1 oannot olose this , letter without referring, to the pluck, judg- "** ment, and pitienoe shown by Sergeant Sheehan and the constablus on Saturday night, whioh opinion is held by every law*, 1 abiding citizen in our town, and I hope we t have heard the last of Waibi rioting,—l am, etc., ■ . Idtak