THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 1880.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 3 November 1880, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 1880.

Thb harßb/ arbitrary, and unoourteous treatment by -the Government, of Judge Weston, as indicated in his Honor's remarks, during the hearing and^Rfore the abrupt termination of the case Beeche v. Welcome Company in the District Court oi Friday last— and which rem»r.ks are fully corroborated by the correspondence between his Honor and the Government kindly submitted for our perusal— is publicly denounced as the most " ironhanded" austerity ever enforced in the Colony, only paralleled by the doings of 11 Black Wednesday " in Victoria. As long as the Government confined them- . selves to dismissals, reductions, and abolition of offices on the grounds of much needed retrenchment in the Civil Service, the majority of the people were will-ng to submit to considerable inconveniences for the common weal,, but when the action of the Government, in Judge Weston 's case, disclosed the fact that our rulers were not actuated by the rr.otives ostensivelj paraded before the people, then the*discontent could hardly find vent in the strongest language toespressing the general indignation at the evident malice, which had prompted their action in this matter. As to Judge Westow'a merit* they are &o fully recog. nised by Bar, Press, and ti»e Publio ; that we could add nothing here to bighten them, but we must most emphatically protest agßinst such dtereappct for the dignity of the very office itself, even if it were held by a less meritorious man than Judge Westoii, What must be expected from the masses, when the head of the judicial department does not know bow to* respect one of the most important offices in the State, nor how to treat an occupant thereof as a gent'eman P How can the dignity of the Bench be uphelH, and justice administered equi ably and satisfactorily, when the Minister of the department shows uufeii»ned disrespect towards it P If the exigencies of the financial position of the Colony demanded the abolishing or diminishing of offices, it could very well have been acs compelled without insulting tlie holders thereof in addition to their curt dismis* sals. Here wo hare an instance where a deserving officer of high standing is, in the first place, only notified that the Go vernw.ent have under discussion the probability of dispensing with his ser» vices on or about a certain future date named, aud when he naturally enough remonstrates and tries to dissuade them from their intention, he is shortly told that the Government intend to abide by their decision, and is referred to the , first intimation ho received. Now, the lirst and only intimation received strt-d that the subject was then only under iis» eu<sion — therefore, no notice of dismissal had in fact been However, no move communications are exchanged, ana

Ihe io tended victim is in no way cons suited as to any suggestions relative to arrangement of the business [of bis office in such a manner as to obviate inconvenience to the public- jn fact he does not officially know of his ,own dismissal and the name of his succeasor.'except by newspaper Report, until the other day, when he accidentally learns it from the Gazette. In the meantime, he arrives here in the pursuance of his duties, and on finding that the business is heavy and of such important nature that it will be impossible to finish $e3 work before the termination of his commission, he,. with an anxious desire to preveut immense loss and inconvenience; to.! those whosejbusiness would otherwise have to stand over, most liberally and generously proposed to act a» Deptitylforl a few days to enable him to complete the work. To this disinterested offer a snub *is received in reply, the offer declined, and a wanton disregard is exhibited for the public con« venience by. the government. This action will entail losses'to individuals, to the extent of hundreds 6t pounds—probably ruin to othersjand genernl loss to , the country, as-we^ understand that^a. petition for compensation will be pre« sensed at the nsxt session, and which the Parliament, under the circumstances, can hardly refuse to entertain favourably.