THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1877.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 217, 17 January 1877, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1877.

Thb sittings of the District Court commenced op "Monday last, and there being no criminal business on the calendar, Mr E, Sbaw, the Sheriff, in accordance with the time*honored custom presented the Judge with a pair of white gloves. In making the presentation Mr Shaw said; Before the business of the Court is proceeded , with, I desire to take the opportunity of congratulating your Honor and the district upon the absence of criminal business from the calendar of the present session. It is a matter of great public satisfaction that since the occasion of «yow Honor's last regular judicial visit here, the district baa been wholly free from any description of serious crime, and this, taving regard to the large population and the limited police force stationed here, speaks in the highest terms for the respect in which the law is held, and ■ for the generally peaceful aud orderly disposition of every class of the inhabitants. We have joftt passed through a season of festivity, when the miners are na, turally brdught together in considerable numbers, and your Honor will, I am sure, agree with me that it redounds no less to tbeir credit individually than to the community as a whole, that not a single case occurred in which the intervention of the police was neces. sary. That being so, my duty as Sheriff on the present occasion becomes ! signally light, and I trust that it may \ long continue so, and in concluding I ; beg to present your Honor with this ; pair of gloves. His Honor, in reply, : said : Mr Sheriff, in the little that is left for me to say, I can but endorse ; your «ble remarks. That there should be such an absence of crime in Beefton j is, in itself something marvellous. It j

ipeaks highly indeed for the good tisposition of the inhabitants, and tesifiei in the face of the paucity of jolice, that in the miners of the dis- / rict you have a superior class, who 4o v heir best to preserve law and order, j [nan equal manner it reflects upon ;he eflJoijWc^of police, small as ;he fore?' is, that while in all necessary •especta they are watchful and diligent, 0 :hey do not endeavour to seek out jrimi by, so to speak, undermining :hjß privacy of the citizens. But P ibough the district enjoys this healthy h immunity, it does not follow that the I inhabitants should he necessarily left without sufficient police protection. 8 there are but two members of the 0 force in Reefton, and if a disturbance should arise that number would be quite insufficient to vindicate the law. . This is a matter that most certainly J, ought to engage the consideration of the authorities, and I trust that under £ the new regime the subject will receive s proper attention. There is another 2 matter which also deserves immediate \ attention. I refei to the great lack of t accommodation at the Court-house, y both for the presiding magistrate and ( for the public in general. In this re- ( spect I may refer particularly to the . inadequate provision for keeping; the valuable records of the Court. If we y go into the clerk's room, we see that y the public can look over his shoulder 1 and tee what be is doing, We see j valuable documents scattered about, ' and within a few feet of an open hearth ' from which a spark of fire might, at any moment, redu 0 the whole to ashes. I trust that my remarks may be made public, in order that attention may be at once directed to these im« portant matters; and, in conclusion, Mr Sheriff, I thank you for your remarks, and unite with you in hoping that my duties here in the future may be as free from unpleasantness aa they are on the present occasion,