A PROFESSIONAL PAUPER.

Manawatu Times, Volume 29, Issue 103, 29 December 1880, Page 2

A PROFESSIONAL PAUPER.

TO THB BBITOBv Sib, — In my hwfc letter I told how Mr. Staifce. admifcfctd- in open Court fchab he might hwe received -twelve times the amount of ray claim since judgment had beeiueonfes&ed. I toM', now, at Mr. Ward's own suggestion, my action against Mr. Sfcaite w*s adjourned- so. that I could subpoena his clerk to produce the. books. I told; how I had subpoenaed Mr. Swift; how that gentleman did not prodfioe them; how! Mr. Ward never made the slightest remark, upon suoh studied contempt of Court, and how .he dismissed the summons because 1 could, not prove by defendant's books bm ability to pay, notwithstanding that he was perfectly aware that while I had taken all legal means to do so, defendant had studiously ignored the order of the Court. I asserted that Mr. Staite's advertising was on behalf of insolvents, extending from September, 1878; and I now give a detailed list j— .

Moore Signal P. Steven* Brandt H. Brown Sanders Woods Patmore Klink Dimond Craraond Eilkooly Anderson Driver Bnnbur.y '^Shaw

Mikkleien: Bead . Burr Wiley Nicholas, &o. M'Alinder Harak«i Beaufort; Silby H. Sterens Cook Gatton Dykea T.V. Brown Let

Now there are thirty-one iniolTenfa m the above list, to a'l of whom Mr. Staite was legal adriser. In each insolTency it is necessary to put thrte notices into two papers published m the district, and my charge for eanh insertion has been 12/, which would mate £1 16s to each insolvent, or. a total of £55 16s 6d for. the thirty-one. Since vr iting the letter m last issue I have, by paying the legal fee, searahad the Court records, and what have I found— why that Mr. Staita. has inserted m each taxed bill of cost's " paid to TiJfBS, fifteen shUKngs" m each instance. So that actually he has been mating a clear, profit of three shillings on each notice, and he has billed his,, clients with £69 15s, for what he should- have, brt has not paid me, £55 19s 6d. As my search has further discovered that fifteen shillings has been act down as paid to the other papers m each instance, and as I presume their charges are the same as mine, it will be seen that supposing Mr, Staite to have honorably paid the claim fpr.- adyertising, he would have made m obmtnisßion alone £27 18s. According to the taxed bill _• of costs, his fees m each case were, something lite £24, which multiplied by 81, tnernumv her of insolvents, gives the iyerfrtspeetabl* sum of £744 which Mr. Stnite has made m inielytncy alone. Supposing tfe>£

of that amount — a rery unlikely things still remains unpaid, it follows from that 'source alone, without indotr practice,, and Eolic* Court work he has actually recejyed £374,. and still he has the unblushing effrjontery to go into Court, 'and deelars that he is » pauper and cannot pay hi»Vw»y, • ■do« outfit pay for the advertising which h» falsely^stated had been- paid for. Know iuk tile public what should be done with such a man. You cannot sh^tae. him, for he U dea.d to honor, or shame. You cannot seize, his p^pperty^ for- as was shown by; the ejri*--. dene* with regard to the. bill of sale, he makes it-o.ver-to his friends.to.defythe.law, "> and a Just Magistrate rules that you most not touch his liberty. I ask v there not something radically wrong when a man can"; act like Mr. Ward, and m the face" of hia own knowledge of Mr. StaiteV. earnings m the. Police Co«rt, theevWeucft, addu^cedi and the defendant's own admission^ c«p »«le sa as to df bar., me from recovering a just debt. What is my case, to-day, may be that of any 'of his unfortunate creditors to-morrow^ On last Court day hi* .unfortuttafce,B«Tant X ... S.m.ily Coberstein, sued him , for £14 6t N : hard earned >x*ges. It would jaot r lpok welt _ to have such a case come before the Court upon the Bam*, day as the hearing^pf th% judgment summoas, aadj.aa.he confessed, judgment, so as to keep it out of the paper** The.poor. girl: thought that a^i;. oopfcwioßj all phe had, to do was to receive th/ 8.. money^ but found to her sorrow it was a legal ,dodg*to stave off payment for a. time, and had ta r pass h^r Qhristmas .without a penny. W,hos... ■. ' will be ncr lot P ' If hei; late, masted pay*.- ". '■ her, what ibouj^ hit oith of inability to payme. No, doubt when- she has expended the. , same amount m a judgment sumaons as '■ have done, Mr. WUliam Sydney Staite, solicitor, of >the.Supi;eme,GoArbwHbagain'i:ise i m Court, and plead poverty^ and his judicial sympathiser, Robert Wardi/Esq.', "Besideat: Magistrate, it ill uphold the plea, and inform [the plaintiff that she. has been oaade. tht^ yictjim, of misplaced confijlenpp.. I may say that th*. disgraceful conduct of ihis precioua, , member of tli^B^r, apd the very suspiciouk, ruliug of the Bench is the talk of the dis*. tvict, and I have beep advised, to, cajjry out. my intention of reporting^ ijh* one. to the, , Law Spciety and-the qthw tp> >h«. Minister., ©f Justice.; J/tore; tbian that 'I shjall carefully mote and, publish the profe«sionalfees ; of "Mr. Staite m the' Police Com* kk future, and see. how they will tally with hi« inability, to pay. People .ask— W,hv it waa. ' that if Mr. Staite, was, not m, a position 1 3, , pay the full amount, if M^ : Wrardi ;w^». - i afraid- to tend him to prison, he did npt, I jaaflie an order .f or th« amoant to-b* patid at}, "sqmu/jii a. w,eek..? According to his ruling i all a person has to do is to recklessly* lire at ■ twice the rate 0$ has iopome, and instead, ot , ■ being calhd upon, to, show- why go«d» w^r^ ' obtained without th&m^ans of payina , for. them, or go to, gaol, the onui of- proof- i«; thrown upon the. unfortunate^ cjjsditor.- -_ ¥°Wh&P% y ,-.- :