Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-06
To Reform English
Country Squire justice
peeinl corresponeence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence or The star
LONDON. February 20. 1906.
One of the much-needed reforms which the
new government will take in hand at the be-
hest of the radical and labor members ofpar-
lament is that OF the county and borough
magistrates, who are responsible for SO
many travesties of justice In the name Of
English law. They are appointed by the
lord chancellor, who is supposed to exer-
else his powers impartially For the last
seventeen years. until the liberal party
came into power, that exalted Office tthe
lord chancellor is the foremost lay person
In the state after the royal family and Of
ficially designated as the keeper of the
kings conscience has been held by Lord
Halesbury Lord Haesbury is a firm be-
lever in Andrew Jackson's doctrines that
to the victors belong the spoils Rural
magistrates get no salaries, but the posi-
lions are much coveted because of the
petty dignity and authority which they
confer.
Lord Halesbury's appointments have
been grossly and Systematically partisan.
He has packed the benches with tory
squires who regard property as the most
sacred thing on earth and consider poach-
ing far more heinous offense than wife
beating There are many Church of Eng
land clergymen among them, but these
reverend gentlemen as rule display far
more zeal III protecting pIltdSdHlS lndU III
protecting women from brutal assaults.
Only last week, for instance, at the
Thngoe petty sessions, presided over by
the Rev. ]. White, aided and abetted by
couple of lieutenant colonies, one John
Meadows was sent to Jail for one month
for poaching. He had been out of work
for some time, but that extenuating cir
cumstance did not count in his favor nor
did the fact that he had a good character
from his last employer. At Usk Theophilus
Jones was sentenced to two months i'm
prIsonment for poaching. There were
three clergymen on the bench which fined
without license" For doing the same
thing at Evesham a poacher was fined SIS
and had to pay costs as well.
BY way of contrast are cited some exam
Piles that occurred last week showing the
lenieney with which these rural tory SolonS
deal with human brutes who beat women.
At Coatbridge George Battles was convict
ed of assaulting his wife. After selling
her by the throat and nearly choking her
ne threw her down and then struck her
with a chair, severely injuring her. He
was let off with fine of S. At Hather
leigh petty sessions the Rev. d. w. Old
ham considered fine of 81 quite an ade
quate punishment to infiict on Dennis
Buckingham for hanging woman over the
head with a club and damaging her so
badly she had to go to a hospital for re-
pairs For blacking his wtfe's eyes and
smashing her about the head until 1t was
a mass Of bruises. Arthur Cornes at
Crewes, was fined only $3.50 and had no
costs to pay.
*
Sleeping out and having no visible
means of subsistence" especially If IT be
on the property of some country squire
that the poor. wretch ventures to steal
nights rest under the canopy of heaven
is treated as a far more serious crime than
rashinp a defenseless woman II is con
sidered almost as bad as poaehing. From
seven to twenty-one days Imprisonment is
the usual sentence passed such Offend
ers in the rural districts where the law is
administered by tory justices.
AS the law now stands a man canno. be-
come a country magistrate unless lie pos
sesses property of the value of $500 a year
at least This provision secures the DON'T
nance of the squire. and the reformers are
determined that the property qualification
shall be abolished. They maintain that Il
places rich man, as II by divine right, in
the role of judge over his poorer hetghbors.
1t adds to his power of wealth and social
influence the power of the law. And how
ever tyrannically and unjustly he may ex-
ercise It, there is no court of appeals be-
fore which the victim can challenge his
decisions. Those who have studied the
question contend that the ends OF Justice
would be best served by the appointment
of mixed benches of magistrates in which
no one class predominates. There the
squire could devote himself to the protec-
ton of game and the humanitarian to the
protection of humanity. That the squire
cannot be trusted to do the latter has been
overwhelmingly demonstrated
The new lord chancellor Lord Loreburn,
who was Familiarity known as Bob Reid
before the liberal premier seated him on
the woolsack, is a stanch radical and can
be depended on to give his hearty support
to any measure for the reform of the coun-
try magistracy.