328
was
acting for our Creagh in Mt Russell's place as senior Inagistrate. During 1878 I was acting as senior Magistrate. In 1879 I was Police Magistrate for nearly six mouths and again on the bench for a couple of months. I have been very much struck during my present short term of office by the very marked difference in the number and character of the cases brought before the Police Magistrates Court in 1880 as compared with 1878. Cases of serious crime have almost disappeared.
The bulk of the petty cases are Kareemie, most of them the result of poverty and destitution in the accused. The infractions of police rules are comparative trifles, and of little moment.
The work of the Court is now, in a very marked degree, smaller in amount and far less onerous than when I had the honour of first taking my seat here.
If I may be permitted to assign a cause for this very considerable improvement in the state of the Colony as regards crime, I would say that it is almost entirely attributable to the increased power and efficiency of the Police force, and that increase of power and efficiency is