LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tliii Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £1102 10s. lid.

A shark 4ft. 6in'. long '.was caught at Scorching Bay on Thursday. Bathers in the locality were concerned for a while, but the incident was soon forgotten, and bathing resumed as usual. ' '

Detective Brobergj who was the principal police officer concerned in the arrest of Matenga, who at present stands committed for trail at Gisborne, has been granted a roward of £40 ! by, the Folico Department. Constable Skinner, who accompanied Detections Broberg on the last search which resulted in the capture,' has been granted a reward of £15.

In order to facilitate the work of preparing for the annual meeting of the New Zealand Defencc Forces Rifle Association, which opens at Trentham .on March 5, the Sommerville Range will be closed after today, and on Saturday, Fobruary 22, tho Collins Range will bo the only one available for use; the distances on this range will bo 200, 500, and 600 i yards; On Saturday, February 29, practice will be limited to one or two -targets, which .will be strictly reserved for visiting competitors only.

Mrs. Ethel E. Do' Costa, LL.B. (nee Miss Ethel R. Benjamin, of Dunedin), after practising for somo years in . that city, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No. G Nathan's Buildings, corner Grey and Featherston Streets, Wellington. Mrs. Do COBta lias the distinction of being tho only lady practising at the Bar in l the Dominion. Intending clients can' depend on prompt ana n i rofnf attention at Mrs. De .Ccsta s hands.

His Honour Mr. Justice Button will hold a sitting in Chambers at 10:30 o'clock this morning. The steamer Ruapehu from London arrived at half-past six last night. Her passengers included 125 third-class from England, a considerable proportion of them being assisted immigrants. "Well, you were premature!" suggested Sub-Inspector O 1 Donovan when cross-examin-ing a witness at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. A puzzled look came over the faco of tlio witness, but counsel for the defence came to the rescue and suggested that witness did not understand tile meaning of the word. "Your language is too bigh-falutin'," oommented counsel. When the Warrimoo arrived in Wellington from Sydney on January 22, it was reported that a seaman named Angus M'Kinnon, aged 28, had fallen overboard and was drowned. The Marina Department has instructed the coroner at Wellington to hold an inquiry into the circumstances on tkp arrival of the Warrimoo from Sydney, on F.obruary 26. Tho coroner will conduct the inquiry without assessor.}. His Honour Mr. Justice Cooper leaves this ; morning for Wanganui, where he will conduct criminal and civil sittings, which commence there on Monday-morning. It is probable that the sittings will last nearly a fortnight. Tho business set down l for transaction includes seven criminal cases, eight.civil actions, one defended divorce suit, besides appeals and Banco matter/?. At the conclusion of the sittings, His Honour proceeds fo Napier, where the sittings open on March 2. Tho missions conducted by tho • Rev. Charles Imvoodj of the Keswick Convention, in Dunedin and Christchurch, have been most successful. Notwithstanding the unsuitable time of year for indoor gatheripgs, the attendances have been..-very 'large,, and much interest lias been aroused. Mr. Inwood commences his Wellington mission tomorrow, when ho will preach in Kent Tor-' raco Presbyterian Church in the morning, and Taranaki Streot Wesleyan in the evening. Every evening next week meetings will be held in Vivian Street Baptist Church, and on Tuesday, Wednesday,' and. Thursday, at' 3 p.m., Bible readings will be conducted in Courtenay Place Congregational Church. It is understood that Mr. Inwood will meet tho ministers of the city on Monday aft ernoon, and will give an account of tho origin and history of tho Keswick Convention. ; Sub-Inspector O'Donovan made it very plear at tho • Magistrates' Court yesterday morning that it was not the'placo nor intention of the .police to conduct tho, case for the prosecution where seamen , are before the Court on charges of disobeying tlio commands of. their officers or other such offences under, the Shipping; and Seamen Act, 1903. Frequently the prosqeuting party camo into Court relying upon 'tli6 ■ police tq conduct .the case, for them, and were thereby' placed in a false .position, as the police had no status in such cases;and could not conduct'the examination of witnesses. The SubInspector contended that the, officers ,of any steamer should conduct their own ease or Bhould engage counsel. Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., agreed that' it was; no part of,', the police duties to carry on tho case for tho prosecution, and remarked that those who lay tho informations must be prepared to conduct tho cases themselves or they must engage a solicitor to do, so,. • '