Local Intelligence.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 898, 5 February 1856, Page 3

Local Intelligence.

Lirbilitv of Ship Masters.— A case of some importance to the mercantile portion of the community was decided on Friday, at the Resident Magistrate's Court. A cask of port had been landed from the 'Bank of England,' /beaming evidence of having been spiled on board, and proving to be very deficient in quantity. The cask" was duly surveyed, and a claim made on the ship at the colonial value of the article — 14s. Gd. per gallon. The Captain admitted his liability, but maintained that, under such circumstances, it "was usual only to charge the cost price, with the addition of a trifling per ceniage to cover charges, interest of money, &c. The N consignee admitted that this might be the usage in case of goods accidentally destroyed, but not where they were abstracted ; and adduced the evidence of several mercantile men in support of his position. The couit regarded I the distinction, between goods lnjuYeci by accident, and deficient fr3in theft as material, and, the f.ict of pillage not being disputed, aljudgoJ the defendant to pay the full amount claimed with costs. The late Assault by a Soldier. — On Thursday, the case of Neesham, remanded from Monday, for an assault on a female, was again brought foi ward. The evidence of the woman heiself— a Mrs. Cliffoid, residing in Parnell — was in effect that, on Sunday night, between 9 and 10 o'clock, she met the defendant in Mechanic's Bay, who asked her for a shilling, and, on her refusal, attempted to lay hands upon her. Her screams awoke Mr. Gillingham, who immediately came to the spot, and who, on hearing her story, saw her home. On the way ha saw a dark figure through the fence, which turned out to be that of the soldier who attempted the outrage, and who was evidently skulking till i danger was over. Mr Gillinghara, with the assistance of a boatman who was passing at the time, then took the fellow in charge, and conveyed him to town. They deserve every credit for having done so, as the prompt capture of the delinquent in thisinstance will go veiy far in repressing assaults of a similarly disgraceful character. The defendant was fined £i, or, in default, two months imprisonment with haul labour. The money not being forthcoming, he was jomnritted to gaol. Smuggling of Fire-ahms at the Bay.— Rumours were prevalent in course of yesterday that a charge ot this nature had been made against a whaling ship at the Bay of Islands, and that she had been seized On inquiry we asceitained that an information had been laid against a ship named the ' Mount Vernon,' but that the case had been dismissed by the Resident Magistrate at Russell. Hearing, however, that two men connected, in some w-iy, with the occurrence, had arrived in town, we were enabled to ascertain'the following additional particulars. It appears that the ship airhed in the Bay on tho 27th ult. Oil the 2Dth one of the crew saw the Captain take two natives down in*o his cabin, where there were muskets, and, on the same night, he saw some guns handed over the ship's side to natives in a whale boat, lie and another ot the crew who had been an eyewitness, reported the occ.nrence to the authoiities' at Russell, and the police weie despatched to seaich for the arms. The witness of whom we speak statps alao that he was informed by natives at Russell that they had purchased no bss than 25 muskets from the fleet of whale ships then_ in hai - bour. Immediately on its being known that this information had been kid, he states that seven or eight whalers got under weigh, and that the ' Vernon would also have gone had her papers not been dcu-n -d. After lodging the lntomiauon he went on boaid, and was immediately plated in irons. He was subsequently released, and he and the other mfoiirant were offoicd £2 if they would immediately leave Russell. They consented, and were put on boaul a sailing craft bound to Auckland, and at the time unilei weigh. They wei consequently non est when the case was called, and, of »ecessity, it" was dismissed. The fact of the case having been thus dismissed does not, however, under suth circum stances, lowai the probability that the offbnea was actually committed, and that such offences are of con"stant occurrence. This is a case which, one would suppose, would call for energe r ic action on the part of the general Government. We learn that the Oaptain of the ' Mount Vernon had wis?ly resolved to go to sea yesteiday nioining.