SUPREME COURT.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1458, 6 December 1861, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

The Crimivai. Sessions of the supieme com tof Auckland weie opened yestciday, by Ins honor Chief Justice AllNF\ The follow ing gentlemen were sworn on the gianil panel — Messrs. "Win O. Dnkly (foreman), J. C. TSlnckett, 3. T Boylan, Samuel Bi owning, Hugh Caileton, Jas. Dihvorfch, D.ivid Bum, Ja?nes Fanner, Ily. Gilfillan, Geo. Giaham, Henry A[. Jervis, R B Lusk, Joseph May, James O'Neill, Gtoige M. O'lloike, Geoige P. Pieice, Chailes Petsthler His HONOR charged tlif jury. Ho said — Gentlemen of the grand ]uiy I am glad to say that I will only detain you foi a veiy few minutes fiotn the dischaigo of yoiu duties asgiand juiymen, foi although theie is a formidable calendar of offence as leg.uds the list of pusoners, and though theie are numerous assoitments of crimes still theie is nothing on tile face of the chaiges them°plves, nor in the evidence on which I foel that I could, with any advantage to you, makp any observations whatevei One thing I may fanly do, notwithstanding the state of the calendai, — I may faiily congratulate you on the state of ciime m the piovmce, as far as it is indicated by the calemlai, foi though so many pusoners will be brought befoie you, and though so many cases aie to be coiibidcied, the cases that arise from acts committed by the settleis are unusually small. Out of fifteen piiooners, twelve will bo found to be soldiers serving in the auny m New Zealand, and that bemg the case they can liaidly be counted among the civil population, nor can the crimes committed by them be judged of in such a way as to disparage the colonial population. There is one sailoi on the calendar who \yiU not bp brought before you, and theie leinams tlien only three prisoneis to be classed among the settleis , and even among these cases ono of them stiietly does not arise among the population, for a man is. charged with impoituig anna I without a license, and he \\ as bi ought up, 111 the course of justice, on hisaruval in the colony. And theiefore the calendar is reduced to two eases .-gainst settleis, which as a standaid of ciime is undoubtedly a small number, and is a matter for congratulation. One o.f these men has been appaiently giulty of io.bb.ing by | wholesale, and it may tuin out that ho has not been j long in the colony, ami has been addicted to dishonest actselsewheie Now these are the only observations I will tiouble you with. 1 congratulate you on the state of orime in the piovmce , and as to the dimes on the calendar, gentlemen of your evpeiience as juioib will have no difficulty in dealing with them. You will theiefoie tetiie, and bills will immediately be sent in [ to you. The giand jury then ictired. Messrs. Raymond and I Uobeifc Graham, Kemuera, wcie each fined £5 Ss. foi not answenng to their names when thegiand juiy was einpaunelled.

CRIMINAL BUSINESS. A petty jury was then swoin to try the criminal cases. BURGr, vnv. Pilot, a Walm, was indicted for burglariously enteimg the dwelling-house of Jospph Chicken, Nelaonstreot, Auckland, early on tho morning of the 9tli October last, ami stealing therofiom a silver watch, value £7 The facts of this case have nheady appeared in the police lepoits of the Soimii,hN Cross. The juiy convicted the prisoner. His Honor sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment, with haul labour.

A CONFIRMED THIEr. Fumcii Ciowe was chaiged with stealing a quantity of matting, clothes horse, kit, and other pioperty, horn the house of Joseph A. Baiber, Pittstieet, on the !)th October, at about 2 o'clock, am. After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner was then given m chaige on four indictment* for felony — one stealing a quantity of bedding and wealing apparel, the propeity of "\Vm, John Donald ; another, stealing gearing apparel, the pioperty of "Wra. l{phes ; another, stealing baby linen and towelling from Mr. J 0. Firth ; another, bieaking into the store of Mr. M. SoiueiviUe, and stealing theiefrom £1 2 9s. After a patient hem ing, ho was found guilty on each chaige. — Sentence defened. The coiut adjourned to ne\t day. — " Southern Cioas," Dec. 3.