THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28, 1881.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 28 September 1881, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28, 1881.

Among the papers laid before Parliament were those relating to thf" retire mentofbis Honor Judge Weston from the District Judgeship of Westland. In tbe debate op the Representation Bill the action of the Government in regard (o tbe removal of Judge Weston Was very strongly condemned. Mr Weston him* telf, however, took no patt in the jdebqte. which was confined to members of the Opposition. We subjoin the whole of the correspondence which passed on the subject between the Government and Judge Weston. Mr Seddon said :— "I ask if the gentlemen wbo occupy those benches have shown, by their past conduct in dealing with minorities and with those under them, that we are in the wrong and should not resist them. Have they dealt fairly and impartially with the Civil servants under the-resolution passed by this House? Have they not acted tyrannically ; and have they not, by their maladministration of justice, caused petitions to be submitted to this House praying for relief ? I could quote many cases, hut I need only quote tbat of the honorable gentleman who now represents the District of Grey Valley. He is absolutely administering justice when a peremptory order comes down that the time of notice ftas expired, and he must leave the Bench. The correspondence on the subject is so interesting that I will take the liberty of reading a portion of it from the papers which bave been laid on the table. The first letter is dated tbe 14ih September, 1880, and is as follows : — ' In accordance with the decision of Parliament, Government contemplates abolishing certain Judgeships, and among tbem the one held by you, and providing for performance of your duties hy making otber arrangements than those now existipg. I take the earliest opportunity of apprising you of this, in order tbat you may have as much time as possible for considering your future plans. You will be good enough to send in your claim for compensation, op account of loss of office, on tbe ordinary form of voucher. ' I have to convey to yog the high sense entertained by tbe Government of tbe manner in which your duties have been performed, and that it is only tbe exigencies of the service which have rendered this step necessary. It is. proposed tp relieve you on the 31st proximo. ' W. RpLJiEsTOlf, •T. S. Weston, Esq., District judge Reefton.' - n tne 2Qth October tbe District Judge, ia a telegram to the Minister of Justice, says as fellows :— r I am engaged in a large ampunt of business, and I do not see my way to finish by Saturday, the 31st. Moreover, itis almost certain my judgments will be reserved to enable me to look up authorities at Hokitika. I bare one case which a claim is made for £2.00Q, another for £LOOO, a third for £200; and there are many othef matters. About forty or

fifty witnesses, professional and others, froui 4 distafltfe ars in waiting. Counsel from elsewhere havp been specially res taioed. Large mining districts and the value of mining stocks are at stake, and so delay would prove very serious to the several parties. What arrangements will you make Under the circumstances ? — that is to say if I am to be cruelly sacrificed on the 31st. If lam to receive tay dismissal, justly or unjustly as it may be, a month to me can make no difference : indeed, the sooner I look for another field the better. At the same time I desire to regard the interests of suitors standing before me, and do not wish to be compelled, from want of time or opportunity to weigh lengthy evidence, to pronounce unsound judgments, and so involve the litigants in further costs. ' Tjios. 8. Ws-tdjf. * The Hon. the Minister of Justice, Wellington.' To that telegram the Government re* plies,— \ •The Government regret that you should bave been unable to inform it previously of possible difficulties. It is too late now to alter its arrangements, your successor having been appointed. T hope that the embarrassment you speak .of will not. arise. In the absence -~o£, "knowredge of the particulars, it would be* impossible for me Jo indicate the course which you should pursue, the responsibility for which rests with you. I can only rely gpon your taking such action as will prevent public inconvenience. lo that the follpwiug reply was for» warded :— • W. Roil__BTO_*7. ' T. S. Wesfoo, Esq., District Judge, Hokitika/ 'Knowing, as Government do, the dates of the fittings, I concluded they would provide against difficulties. It is impossible for the Court to judge of the length of sitting to a day ; I had no idea tbat so many witnesses had been subs pooaed; again, at tha last moment, a criminal case arose, which occupied me yesterday until late at night. I never could have thought that you woqld have gazetted my successor without first announcing to me ; you laid Government proposed to relieve me on the 31st October. If yon had consulted me, as I naturally thought you would do, I most certainly should bave advised yon how to act to sgve the possibility of inconvenience to the public, and I quite intended to do ao. I had pot been in any way advised of a successor, and when he would assume office. I apprehend Jt is possible for Government to arrange matters and I am quite prepared to do mv share to prevent inconvenience, which I notified as soon as 1 clearly saw it would arise. If something be not done of course oases unheard must stand ,ov«r. Tbe present case is not finished. |jt is possible, though not probable, there; may be a settlement. ' If it be not. the case may have to be begun over again. I can only repeat my willingness to act in any way and in any capacity you think fit, even as a Deputy-Judge, to ssacv c trouble. I should like to hear early io the morning, because I shall adjourn cases without loss of time if provision be not made .forme to complete them, _$s I tell you again I am quite prepared to do ' T. S. WE3TON. ' The Hon the Minister of Justice, Wellington.'