$
·
rut $
578
Mail', the general opinion of the Colony was that Mr.
Hewitt's action had been officious and 111-adviced, and
therefore I decided not to trouble the Secretary of State
with the question, but to let the matter rest. But it has
been re-opened, end I have with much regret felt compelled
to give expression to my feelings, and to the opinion wh
which I then formed and still hold as to the attitude of
the Government.
20. Before concluding this mimte, I must allude to the
paragraph in my letter of 12th March which has given rise
to it. The attitude of the Government towards the Chief
Justice generally is thoroughly unsatisfactory. I do not
think for one moment that it is personel to myself and I
have therefore used the expression 'Chief Justice' in
this minute instead of the personal pronoun. I believe
it to be traditionel in the Colony, and thic belief is
founded not only on my or experience, but on that I know
from other very reliable sources. Over and over again I
have intended to report upon it, but I have always come
to the conclusion that would make the best of it. I
shall alude to it here, becauce the attitude of hostility
assured by the Government to the Onief Justice in the
matter of the Vocations is on a par with the lack of
consideration cher to him on other occasions. I shall
ollude to one incident only, which is horever intimately
connected in itc details with the present matter.
21. After some experience of the working of the Code of Civil
Procedure, I felt very dissatisfied with certain parts
of it notably the quection of substituted service,
service out of the jurisdiction the procedure as to
which is out of date and arrest of defendante in lieu
of giving security which appeared to me to be too
-
harshly administered. I had several interviews rith leading nembers of the profeccion, and after a consider-