CRUEL TREATMENT.

While all England has been up in arms at the revelations made in Court about the cruel treatment of her little daughter by Mrs Penruddocke, a lady of wealth and position, it would appear as if there are somewhat similar instances to be met with in this little colony that are deserving of equal execration. At the Christchurch S.M. Court the other day Thornton Newsome, a remittance man, receiving £10 a month from Home, was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment for brutally treating his stepdaughter, four and a half years old. Dr. Orchard, in giving evidence, said that there were seven bruises, each about 1J inch long and three quarters of an inch wide, and elliptical in shape on the child. There was also a smaller bruise, and a scar outside the right eye. The specific instance of assault detailed in Court occurred on January 2nd, when accused knocked the child off its chair at dinner because it would not eat corned beef, and brutally illtreated her. The Magistrate said it was a brutal way in which to treat the child, and lie would not be doing his duty if he did not punish the man, who had bratally knocked off a chair at a table a mere infant of four years and a half. She would be but as a wisp of straw in his hands and he ought to be ashamed of himself. There were two other > charges of cruelty towards the child against accused, but Sub-Inspector Dwyer withdrew them, in the absence of the evidence of the child's' mother, which was objected to on behalf of accused, on the ground that a man's wife could not be compelled to give evidence against him. It is satisfactory to find that the Magistrate was equal to the occasion, and meted out exemplary punishment to the ruffian," but it is a pity that steps could not be taken to remove the child from such unnatural surroundings.