NAPIER.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1513, 16 December 1874, Page 3

NAPIER.

Prom our own Correspondent.) This day. . ivil Suit by an Immigrant. a « utated that a civil action, brought by an immigrant, against Capt. ggh and Surgeon Dale, of the ship *obiton, in which damages were laid at ij been compromised, by payment of *9um money to Lydia/ . &*ni!_. on the 14th — Queen, schooner, Sytt ickland. 15th—Result, steamer, «cm& cr ty Bayand Auc kland. Ufoi Knight, of the Bebingfcon, writes \ othocal papers explaining the reasons for V^fcising the action brought by Lydia M. I He says that owing to ill-health he zSjfb to appear in Court, and prefers to "tttlep action to detaining himself and ship sU l Dext Su Preme oourt sitting. He /atesft had he |remained here he himself w°n%e sued the plaintiff. jPjing of the Supreme Court. pee Johnston opened the Supreme stt? morning. In his charge the judge UWtKedtho jury on the sonditioa of

this portion of his judicial district. There are only four simple cases on the calendar. He was glad that the considerable influx of population that had taken place under the present policy, had not led to one result that might have been anticipated. There was no sign as yet of any proportion of the criminals or dangerous class of the home country having obtained any hold in the colony, but they might reasonably expect before long to have to provide against the establishment of a criminal class. He felt very strongly the necessity of making this provision, but thought the punishment of crimes rife in the colony should be such as to put them down with a strong hand, but they did not always act up to this opinion, as the manner in which punishment was carried out was neither corrective nor deterrent. He hoped the day was not far distant when punishment would be so severe that people would be frightened to commit a crime —The Grand Jury found a true bill against William Blackmail, for stealing a horse on August 24, at Poverty Bay. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour. The prisoner was a recent immigrant at Auckland", and had been forwarded to Poverty Bay.