OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 207, 11 October 1888, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

StdnkT, Sept. 19. Mr Goodchap, our Commissioner for Railways, made a pronouncement the other day of which disappointed officebetkers would du well to take note. It is well knowq that under the new railway arrangements he desire! the chief post. It was thought, however, that the new custom would have a better chance cf success under entirely new management, and Mr Eddy is coming out from Engl nd to take the chief position Speaking at a picnic given the other day by railway traffic officials, Mr Goodchap said that though he felt disappo nted at not being chosen as the new Chi«f Commissioner he •el aside his personal feelings and would do anything tb*t Uy in his power to facilitate the work of his kucceseor. Ex-Ministers, and disappointed candidates for- ffice, please take note. The bearings of this rare observation, in the sage words of Captain Cuttie, * lies in the application of it.” Fieemasunry had a good jubilation last night when, in the presence of some 4000 brethren of the crait, His Excellency Lord Car> ington, the Governor of the colony, was installed as Giaud Master Mason of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales. Freemasons are a very important and influential section of society, and, the principles they prole**, if f Lhfuliy Carried out, would make * different wu«id lu any case such an eve t, therefore would posse s great significance. In this case it Uof more than Ordinary importance from the fact that the ceremonial, in the words of the Insiailing Justice Way, of South Australia) from Mason y in New South WaieStoe reproach of being divided iuto parties, luid exhibits her to the wo l Id fu«the first time as a united bro*he ho<»d.” Hitherto we have had lodges working under the separate constitution*- of England, Scotland. and New South Wales. Now, with the almost unanimous consent of all, we start to go alone, as unity is strength an increase of prosperity nuy confidently be predicted. The case of lawyer Cahill, just decided, shows one of the alarming b o s in our legal system. Some time ago the Peat’s Ferry railway accident occurred. Among the perron* Injured were two spinsters, dressmakers. Mr Cahill took up heir Case, conducted proceedings against the Government, Bad obtained fur them verdicts amounting iu the gruss tu about £ 1250. So far good. But when the lawyer presented his “ little bill ” of costs it amounted to considerably ov. r £2500 1 It c»me before the prothonotary for f+T+rinn, and that officer a professional eye at once disco vexed that the claim was a fraudulent one. He reported that the briefs had been swelled to an indefensible length by the copying of multifarious particulars of no imp* r ance to the case, apparently with no other object than to charge for them. Mr Want s fee of £lOO, als«», was initialled as having been received by him, whereas it bad not been so received, a d Mr Want, Bithough be did not say that the iui ials were not his, could not say that they were. Th' Judges gave Mr Cabi 1 the benefit of the doubt, as to Mr Want’s initials, but they fined him £lOO for having swelled his bill of costa in such an unconscionable manner. I may state that under the hands uf the prothonotary the sum of £2500 dwindled to something like £3OO. The in. st unsatisfactory part of the sffidr is, that a number of lawyers, instead of strengthening the hands of the proth notary, are indignant at his notion, thus fortifying the popular idea that the whole fraternity sympathise with such doings. The press, however, is beginning to ask why a lawyer who is accused of fraudulent practices should not be handed over to the courts to be dealt with in the same manner as any other person. We smile c >mplaoeutly at the benighted state of our forefathers, because they allowed the cl- rgy to become a privileged class, exempt from the operation of anomalies quite as foolish aud indefensible. •