THE COURTS-TO-DAY

ClTtf POLICE COURT. (Before J. R. Bartholomew, Esq., 5.M. 4 Drunkenness.—Three first offenders, none of whom appeared, were each fined 20s, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. George Riley was fined 10s, in default 48 hours. Three Charges.—James Rodger Stewart pleaded guilty to drunkenness, resisting the police, and committing mischief by damaging a blanket valued at £l, the property of the Government.—Sub-inspector Matheson said tho defendant was very drank at the time, and gave the arresting constable a great deal of trouble. When in the cell he tore his blanket into strips.—On the first charge defendant was fined 10s, or 48 hours | on the second charge 20s, or threo days; and on the third charge was convicted and ordered to pay the amount of the damage, in default seven days. Tnlo of a Gate.—Alexander Matheson Saunderson (Mr Hay) pleaded not guilty to committing mischief by damaging a gate, the property of John Nyhon.—James Joseph Nyhon, a farmer at Sandymount, said that he saw defendant depositing the gate—which had been removed from his (witness's) father's property—over a fence on the other side of the road. That sort of thing, he said, had been going on for years, but had stopped when defendant was away in camp, only to be resumed on his return. The damage was not extensive, 2s 6d would cover it. He knew defendant only by sight.—Michael Henry Nyhon gave corroborative evidence.—George Farqiihar said there had been friction between the Nyhons and a family named Tow nifty. On that occasion the defendant was supposed to have been associated with the Townleys.—Constable Hodgson and Plainclothes Constable M'Culloch also gave evidence.—Mr Hay said the defendant denied having interfered with the gate. The storv of the Nyhons was a most improvable one, and counsel pointed out that their word had not been accepted on a previous occasion by the Court. It was doubtful whether the gate was taken off at all, and it would certainly be shown that the defendant had not removed it.—Defendant. said the matter was the result of a personal grievance which the Nyhons had against him over the Townley affair. Nyhon had on one occasion stuck him up and threatened him. —John Landreth said that on the niffht in question ho was riding with the defendant, who did not dismount during the journey, so far as ho knew.— Henry Kitto also gave evidence.—His Worship said that the only thing that was at all obvious was that there was bitter feeling amongst certain factions on the Peninsula. Tliia might lead to acts of mischief, and if these wore proved the Court would administer salutory punishment. On the evidence in the present case tho charge had not been proved, and the information would be dismissed.