A “Spring Poet”

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 210, 18 October 1888, Page 3

A “Spring Poet”

Many Gisborne people will have a good recollection of Mr T. B. Bain, who has got himself into trouble in Christchurch through an alleged libel upon a Mr Holmes. Bain was formerly on the staff of qur evening oontempqrary and subsequently on that of the Poverty Bay Standard. The following verses contain the libel complained of:— HIO, H-330, HOC. While gentle “ Shepherd ” guards his flock In “City” of the Plains, And make tham shout and pay for hock Of lost “ May Q Hen’s” renjajnq. Rqor Pavsey, ane'ot Joseph’s •* lambs,” Is l‘ skinn’d” alive, Oh dear I Fed up on steaks, oys'ers, and jams, Till he feels rather queer. The day of reckoning comes too soon,

Poor P. has parted in five days One seventy-five, the silly coon— Joe grins, and his harmonium plays, [as follows] The Lord’s my “ shepherd,” I’ll not want, He makes me lambs to “ skin," To “ City ” pub he leadetb them To feed with hock and gip, ,Twas “ Honest John ” old Olloware That sat upon the Bench. He said Joe had the best of it, And what he charged was fair. “ Hullo 1 old mpn,” cried out the crowd, “ Are you too on the square ? Why, Omes and you were pals last night, And that seems rather queer." “ Never mind," says John, “ I hold the power And you can’t tell me why, The papers say the grapes are sour, Joe’s hooked it, so have I," Ue gods, where's old Diogenes, ' With his lantern all alight ? He needn't look in vain for Beaks, Who're honest and upright. The people know that “ honest John ” Cannot be bought or sold; Haste then friends subscribe for him, Another pot of gold 1 (Case dismissed.)

Meaning by such libel that the plaintiff, a Magistrate and Justice of the Peace, had acted corruptly and dishonestly in adjudicating and deciding upon the said case against Mrs Hadfield, and that he had, been corruptly influenced in bis decision'by John Holmes, who acted as counsel in the case for Mrs Hadfield, “ to tbe great scandal and reproach of the administration of justice in this said colony, and in contempt ut our Lady the'Queen find her laws, and Io tbe evil example of all others in the like ease attending, being an indictable oftense."