The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-26 00:00:00

THE GOVERNOR OF JAMAICA.

Sir Henry Norman, K.C.8., Governor of Jamaica,
disembarked at Plymouth from the Royal Mail Com-
pany's steamer Moselle on her arrival in Plymouth
Sound on Saturday. His Excellency has come to
England in connection with an action brought against
him in the Court of Queen's Bench by Mr. H. J.
Gibbons for wrongful susi_aension from 'ais office of
District Court Judge. According to the Jamaica
Standard, the circumstances of the case are as follow:
"The unseemly vagaries of Judge Gibbons culminated
in an unseemly fracas with one of the officers of
his own Ci.urt, and an investigation by the Govern-
ment WAI rendered necessary. The result of this
invest gation was the temporary suspension of Mr.
Gibbons, who wrote we believe, to the Secretary of State
informing him that the Governor was under the in-
fluence of a clique hostile to him and to the interests
of the great mass of the population, who required the
championship of an upright, independent judge. The
Secretary of State then directed that the case should
be inquired into by the Privy Council of this island,
and when the details of the inquiry were communi-
cated to the Secretary of State, that high dignitary is
said to have informed the Governor that there was
no alternative but to dispense with the services of an
obnosious official. Instead of summarily dismissing
Mr. Gibbons, the Governor, with the evident desire
of sparing his feelings, suggested that he should
tender his resignation and retire from the public Der-
vice of Jamaica in the least painful manner possible.
It is also retorted that the offenling judge agreed to
send in his resignation on the condition or under-
standing that he should be appointed to a similar
office in some other colony. The Governor was
not, of course, in a
insist
to make any such sti-
pulation, and had to that the resignation should
be absolute or unconditional. Mr. Gibbons, on arriv-
ing i n England, brought an 'action in the Court of
Queen's Bench against Sir Henry Norman for illegal
deprivation of office. The action appears to have
assumed a more unpleasant phase than was at first
anticipated, in consequence, we believe, of some
technical m;stake made by the counsel for the defence.
The Governor, we should think, need have no fear of
the result, seeing that he acted throughout the whole
matter in strict accordance wi h the instructions of
the English Colonial Office. Nor need there be any
apprehension, as some people wild have us believe,
that this colony will be liable for any costs or damages
in the case, whatever may be the issue of tha action."
During Sir Henry Norman's absence the administra•
tin of Jamaica devolves on C alonel the Hon. William
C. Justice, C.M.G., commanding her Majesty's
troops in the island, and senior member of the PriTT
Onnnoil.

REPORTED RUSSIAN ENCROACHMENTS
ON AFGHANISTAN.

According to intelligence received at Bombay
through native sources, some Russian officers, in
company with some Bokharan officers and troopers,
were recently seen in the vicinity of Kulfat making
surveys for a bridge across the Amu Darla. The
Governor of Afghan Turkestan and the Ameer conse-
quently apprehended that a Russian advance was
contemplated upon Khulm or Tash-Kurgan, a place
situated half way between the important posts of
Kunduz and Balkh. Reports are being persistently
circulated that six Russian officers with a native
escort have, with the knowledge of the Shah of Persia,
arrived at Seistan from Katte.-Kurgan, with the in-
tention of crossing into Afghanistan in disguise by way
of Herat.
The Times of India publishes a telegram from
Lahore stating that the Ameer of Afghanistan has
issued a pamphlet describing the events connected
with the Durbar at Rawul Pindi and the movements
of the Russians on the northern frontier,