RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3102, 7 June 1881, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

TUESDAY, JUNE 7. (Before H. Eyre Kenny, Eeq., R.M.) DRUNKENNESS. James Ferguson was charged with beinz drank, aud fined 5a and costs, or 48 hours imprisonment with hard labour. OFFENCES UNDER RAILWAY BYE-LAWS. Edward Healy was charged with being drunk in a railway carriage. Fined 10s and costs, or three days imprisonment with hard labor. The same prisoner was charged with interfering with the comfort of passengers on the Napier line of rail. Fined 20s and costs, or three days imprisonment with hard labor. BREACH OF CUSTOMS ACT. William Krauce and Joseph Shultz were charged by the Collector of Customs with being in possession ot unbond:! goods. Both prisoners pleaded guilty. The Collector of Customs prosecuted on behalf of the Government, and said he had been instructed by the Government to use every endeavour to detect any smuggling in tobacco. Hitherto he had failed, but he had reason to believe that smuggling had been carried on to a considerable extent. If it had not been for the very t- aiseworthy exertions of Detective Grace in following up the matter they would have failed in getting a conviction iD this case. He would press for the full penalty. Mr Lee, for the prisoner Krause, wished to say that he was instructed that, until he got the material into his house, he did not know what the parcels contained, and he at once gave all information to the police. He was a man with a large family, and a baker in the town, tie would ask His Worship to deal leniently with him.

His Worship said that he could not see his way to redu3e the penalty. It was the fact of having accomplices on shore that made smuggling possible. The Government might, on application being made, remit a portion of the fine. The Collector of Customs said that, under the circumstances, seeing that both the prisoners had pleaded guilty, he would not press for the full penalty. His Worship said that in that case he would fine the prisoner Shultz £50, and Krause £25, with costs in each cat,e The tobacco seized both upon the accused and on board tbe ship would hi forfeited, and both prisoners would be imprisoned until the fines were paid. The Court then ro:?.