The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 25/4/1873
FRIDAY ARIL 25 1873
COST OF JUSTICE
Every one will admit that economy in the administration of justice ought to be one of the first aims of a Government, but we cannot help being more and more impressed every day with the fact that under our present circumstances a more expensive system of dealing with prisoners could scarcely be devise than that which prevails in this district. Some years ago, when Beechworth was a flourishing gold field and a large centre of population, the Government establishments were built there, but times have changed since then, and we now find several important towns in this part of the country; some of which can justly, demand that courts of higher jurisdiction than the Court of Petty Sessions or the County court shall be established in them. The growth of the district seems also to require that another gaol should be built in it besides that which is to be found in Beechworth.
Prisoners who are sentenced even for short terms are sent up there from every part of the district, and the cost of their conveyance forms no inconsiderable item of expenditure. From statistics which have been furnished to us we learn that the average cost of sending prisoners from Violet Town to Beechworth is £5 2s. 6d., and from Benalla £38 15s. Those who have been summarily dealt with by the magistrates are taken at once to the gaol to serve their sentence, but on those who have been committed for trial an additional expenditure has to be incurred. The average number of witnesses in each case is about five, and their expenses may be estimated at about £4 10s. each if they come from Benalla, and £6 if they come from Violet Town.
The expenses in the cases of prisoners and witnesses who come from Longwood are larger still, but we have not been able to obtain any exact return of them.. In the years 1870, 1871, and 1872 the number of prisoners who are committed for trial at Beechworth from Benalla was 8, 4, and 8, respectively; and the number of those sent there to gaol was respectively 13, 13, and 19; in the same years the number of those who were committed for trial from Violet Town was 3, 3, and 1, and the number of those oho were sent to gaol was 3, 5, and 12; and from Longwood the number of those who were sent to gaol was 3, 8, and 3, and one prisoner only was committed for trial, he being sent up last year. It will thus be seen that the cost of conveying prisoners and witnesses to Beechworth is very great, and yet much of this expense could easily be saved.
In cases where prisoners have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment they may well be taken to the gaol in Beechworth but it seems absurd to take them there, when they have been committed to gaol only for a few days. We are credibly informed that it is not uncommon for prisoners to be taken from long distances to Beechworth and released there after only two or three days incarceration. Yet there are good substantial lock-ups in Benalla, Wangaratta, and other places from which they are sent, where they could be safely secured during the term of their imprisonment.
With regard to those prisoners who are committed for trial we do not desire that Beechworth shall be deprived of its Circuit Court, but the approaching completion of the North Eastern Railway makes it advisable that a Circuit Court should be established at some places on the line either at Benalla or Wangaratta and a Court of General Sessions should certainly be held at both these place. At the last sitting of the Circuit Court at Beechworth there were two prisoners who had been sent from Winton, one from Benalla, and one from Violet Town, and the offences of three of them at any rate were such as could have been dealt with by a Court of General Sessions.
Under these circumstances we trust that the Government will see the advisability of making some reform. in the administration of justice in this part of the colony. At present it is not only expensive but inconvenient, and were sure that even if they, could not see their way to establish a Circuit Court at Wangaratta or Benalla they could at any rate devise some better plan than that which is at present followed of dealing with offenders who have been sentenced to short terms of imprisonment, and appoint Courts of General Sessions in some of the towns of the district where they do not now exist with the view of saving a portion of the expenditure which is incurred in sending prisoners for trial to Beechworth.
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