The Argus at KellyGang 11/6/1872
GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE
(FROM THE MANSFIELD GUARDIAN, JUNE 8)
A commission of inquiry has been sitting at Mansfield into certain charges made against Mr Reid, the superintendent of police. Some of the circumstances of the case are curious, and deserving of notice as an exemplification of the extent to which tho government by influence has been carried by the late Chief Secretary. Some months ago a Mr Tilt was the agent and sub-editor of a newspaper called the Mansfield Independent , but printed and published by one Mr John Liston, at Benalla, who was also tho proprietor and publisher of another paper called the Benalla Ensign . The Ensign had made itself notorious by its extreme adulation of Mr Duffy and his Ministry, discovering in the late Chief Secretary abilities more transcendent than those of Lord Chatham, Mr Fox, or the celebrated Grattan, and conferring on his Solicitor General, Mr Howard Spensley, the title of the most eminent equity barrister in the colony.
We may add that these passages, with some others of the most fulsome character, were duly marked by the editor, or his agent, and forwarded for the delectation of Mr Duffy. Tilt, with other offices he held at that time in Mansfield, was also secretary and collector of the public hospital, from which he was a short time afterwards removed, and Mr Hageman, tho shire secretary, was appointed in his stead. This event rankled very much in the bosom of Mr Tilt, and he appeared to have used the opportunity he had as the agent and sub-editor of the Benalla paper to insert, or to have inserted in it, a series of the most scurrilous and insulting articles to Hageman. This was carried on to such an extent that at length Hageman, who is remarkable for his unusually quiet and pacific disposition, could stand it no longer, and arming himself with a whip, he met Tilt in the street and administered to him a severe beating. It is admitted that, smarting under the feelings of much injury which had been long restrained, he may have struck much harder than he probably himself intended; be that as it may, Tilt was cut in the forehead, and sought tho assistance of the police.
Mr Reid heard his complaint, but not having seen the assault, declined to arrest without information and warrant, and recommended a summons. Tilt made an information, and applied for a warrant to two magistrates, but they, knowing that a summons would bring Hageman at any moment to tho court, and seeing nothing in the case but a common assault, declined to grant a warrant. At this stage of the proceedings a Mr Sherring, a magistrate, who resides some distance from Mansfield, came into the town. Tilt applied to him also for a warrant, and Mr Reid thought it his duty to inform Mr Sherring before he signed the warrant, that two other magistrates had refused to grant a warrant in the case. The case was tried by Mr Drury, PM, was treated by him as a common assault, and Hageman was fined £10. Tilt then complained to the chief commissioner of police, charging Mr Reid with undue interference in tho matter of the warrant. Captain Standish made inquiry into the case, and considered this officer blameless in the matter.
Tilt then complained to the Chief Secretary, Mr Duffy, for a farther inquiry into the conduct of the superintendent of police, and his application was forwarded to Mr Duffy by Mr Liston, the editor of the Benalla paper, with an introduction couched in these words, or words to the same meaning:- "The superintendent, Mr Reid, is a political partisan of Dr Rowe, at Mansfield, who is doing all in his power to injure your Government." Mr Duffy wrote of course:-- "Let a commission of inquiry take place. If this be true, let the officer be removed from the public service." Now, we are, from our own knowledge able to state that Liston's statement is without the shadow of a foundation, but we refer to it to show in what trifling affairs a Government conducted by influence is disposed to interfere, and upon which it has been in the habit of spending the public money. The country is put to the cost of at least a couple of hundred pounds, to repay Mr Liston's influence with Mr Duffy. As the inquiry was held with closed doors, we are unable to furnish a report of the proceedings. Of this we feel quite sure, that the commissioners will report the charge to be one of the most trumpery nature they ever have been called to inquire into, and that Mr Reid did no more than his duty, in informing a young and inexperienced magistrate of what his fellow-magistrates had already done in the case.
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