CRIMINAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 72, 26 March 1891, Page 6

CRIMINAL.

The March Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Courb opened on March 10bh' before His Honor Mr Justico Conolly. The Grand Jury were sworn as follows: —Charles Williamson, Thos. Charles Williamson, Robert M. Wabt, Wm. R. Walker, Henry G. Wade, Jno. 11. Sellnrs, Jno. Mowbray, Thoa. T. Masefield, Wm. S. Laurie, Edwin Keals, Jno. Wm. Herrold, Clnirmoiib Plemery, Jos. Gibtos, Wm. Frater, Wm. B. Foatherstone, Jno. F. Churton, Thos. Clung, P. F. M. Burrows, Andrew Buchanan. Mr Laurie was chosen as foreman. His Honor, in his charge to tho Grand Jury, said ho regretted to find a vory heavy list of charges broughb before him. When ho addressed a Grand Jury twelve months ago in this place, aftor which there had been a great assemblage through the colony, there was a vary light calendar indeed. Ib was a molancholy rotlecbion thab in a country liko this, and ab a season of the year most favourable for honesb employment, thab thore should bo such an immonso number of cases brought before this Courb and tho lower Courb. The charges to be brought before the jury were very varied, and showed an immense diversity of crime, in which minor offences were almost absent.

Tho charge againsb Mark Rawlings for appropriating certain moneys belonging to the Parnell Orphan Home carno before the Supreme Court on March 19. Mr E. Mahony defended the accused, and on the conclusion of the evidence contended thab the accused derived no benefit from tho moneys appropriated, and was nob a beneficial ownor wibhin bhe meaning of bhe Larceny Acb, Amondmonb Act, 1870. His Honor Justice Conolly said the poinb raised by accused's counsel was fatal, and directed bho jury bo return a verdicb of nob guilby, which was accordingly dono. The obher charges againsb Rawlings wero proceeded wibh. In reply to His Honor, Mr G. P. Pierce said ho believed in all the amount of prisoner's defalcabions had beon aboub £1,800. This sum included conbribubions of friends and others, and moiety of wages from children that had left bhe Home. Mr Churton, who examined tho books and accounts of the prisoner, stated to His Honor thab he had gone over the accounts of bhe prisoner for eleven years back. The defalcabions did nob commence bill bhe year 1885. Previous to thab the amounts baken were small. The bulk of the money had been taken during the lasb six or seven years. During the hearing of the charges Rawlings sab in the dock, and appeared to be in a weak state. It was evident thab the accused felt his position very keenly. He was found guilty and sentenced bo three years imprisonment on each of three charges, the sentences to run concurrenbly.

At a meeting of the Executive held on March 12, at which there woro present Hia Excellency the Governor, the Hon. P. Buckley, and the Hon. A. J. Cadman, "it was resolved to grant tho prayer of the Christchurch pebition, asking lor commutation of the deabh sentence passed on the Flanigans, mother and daughter, for child murder, bo imprisonment for life.

Tho Government intend to make another attempt to codify tho criminal law. A Bill, similar to thab inbroduced by bhe Hon. J. A. Tolo in 1886, will be laid beforo Parliament, with such modiflcabions as are necessitated by lapse of time. The main object is bo simplify the process of the law and geb rid of the verbiage which disfigures so many statutes.