BREACH OF ARMS ACT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 708, 12 August 1869, Page 3

BREACH OF ARMS ACT.

At the Aucklard Police Court, on Tuesday, August 3, three Maoris, named re spectively Paraihi, Mohi, and Rihari, were charged w.th a breach, of the "Anns Act,'" hy having removed wariike stores from one part of the colony to another without a license, as required by the Act, the stores consisting of four double-barrel guns, 24 canisters of powder, and 16 boxes of caps The following report of the case appears in the .New Zealand Herald :

Mr .Naughton informed the Bench that llie case had already been partially heard by the Magistrate in Waikato, and the prisoners had then been forwarded on to Auckland for further investigation of the charge. The information had been laid by a person not authorised by the Act, but who had evidently done his be.-t under the circumstances. He (Mr .Naughton) proposed to lay a fresh information, and to produce such testimony as would justify the Bench in granting a remand until he was more fully prepared to go on. Messrs. Mainwaring and Brown were sworn in as interpreters, and the information was translated to the prisoners. James Naughton, J.P., Commissioner of Police, deposed that he was duly authorised io lay such an information. J >hn Cropp, sworn : I am a corporal in the Vo'unteer Militia, stationed at Ngaruawahia. On the morning of 25ih July saw the three prisoners in an old iron house at about 11 am. They had five hor.-es, heavily laden. I examiued their swags by direction of Captain H.ty\ ind found 24 ca istersof powder, 14, boxes uf caps f< <ur double-b.rrel guns, one pack age of bhis'ing uowder, aud one needle cartridge—ail the articles now produced. I hey were rolled ud in blankets. The) have been in my charge ever since. 1 had l hem forwarded to Au kland, where tne police took charge of them. Ido not ki.ow how the swags got. into the iron house. They tried to prevent our entering, and obj ded to being searched. His Worship observed that farther evi der ce must be produced,—probably the interpreter's would be sufficient. Mr Naughton acquiesced, and applied for a remand for a week, which was granted.