Chap. XVI. HONOURABLE CONDUCT OF MR. FOX. 419 
English Bar. To this course he had been induced 
by a manly sense of honour ; for those whom the de- 
claration seemed intended to preclude from the Court 
were just the only persons who would willingly answer 
it falsely. Only to a gentleman, fit in every way to 
practise in the Court, such a declaration became most 
odious. 
A remonstrance on the subject was sent to his 
Honour the Chief Justice, signed by Colonel Wakefield 
and eight other Justices of the Peace, the Mayor and 
nine of the Aldermen, two of the barristers already 
practising in the Court, and 40 more of the leading 
settlers. 
They respectfully remonstrated against the Judge's 
proceeding, on the grounds above mentioned ; and ap- 
proved the course pursued by Mr. Fox, although they 
felt surprise and deep regret that the exercise of such 
honourable feelings should be the means of depriving 
them of so valuable a settler. 
They observed that there was no precedent for this 
course either in England or in the other colonies ; and 
urged upon his Honour " the justice and expediency of 
" adopting some other course more consonant to the 
" feelings of honourable men, and, as such, better 
" calculated to insure the respectability of his Honour's 
" bar, an object of paramount importance to the colo- 
" nists of New Zealand." 
But Justice Martin answered, that two barristers 
had already made the declaration, and that the leader 
of the bar had appoved of it ; and he concluded by 
saying, " When the authorities at home, to whom in 
" this and in every other matter connected with the 
" administration of justice here I am responsible, shall 
" tell me that I have acted erroneously, the regulation 
" in question will cease to be enforced." 
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