RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, LYTTELTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 170, 8 April 1854, Page 7

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, LYTTELTON.

March 23. Wakelin v. Read. —This was a case of trespass. The plaintiff sought to recover 245. sterling, as compensation for damage sustained by the defendant's horse straying on plaintiff's pasturage. Damages to the amount °f 3s. 6d. were awarded by the llesideut Magistrate, at the rate of 3d. per week, that being the usual charge for horses depasturing on uncultivated land. March 27. John Lenham, upon the information of Captain Addams, of the " Waterwitch," was sentenced to one mouth's imprisonment1 for mutinous conduct on board that vessel. Taylor v. Sparks. —The plaintiff accused the defendant of stealing a dog, but the case was dismissed for want of evidence. Thomas JProsser was fined ss. and costs, upon a charge of being drunk in the public streets. March 29. John Riqgs, an old offender, was fined £ | and costs, being charged with drunkenness in the public streets.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday, March 30th, 1854. lr?,seiit:— Captain Simeon, R. M.. Henry Phillips, Esq, J.P. J John Bilton was charged by James M;iin with having- assaulted and beaten his son Thomas Franklin Main, aged 6 years. Complainant sworn, stated that the child went to Mr. Bilton's school, and that on his return home on the previous Tuesday he said Mr. Bilton had beaten him, and thattheboy was much marked in consequence. Thomas Franklin Main, not sworn, stated, — I was making a little noise,"calling out in school time, and he flogged me for calling out. John Bilton stated in defence that the boy had latterly given some trouble by playing in school time. Cuse dismissed. Thdcker v. Webb. —This was an action to recover £4 4s , the" value of a case of beer. Mr. Dampier for defendant. John Edward Thacker, sworn, stated that about the 12th of January last, 21 cases of beer were shipped for him in Lyttelton, that they were landed on the defendant's wharf on the 18th, and the goods were taken away to hjs store by his carter Stace. In the evening the warehouseman informed him there was a case short. From the evidence in chief and the crossexaminations, which were very lengthy, it appeared that the carter simply took the goods pointed out as the plaintiff's on the wharf, hut took no account of the goods he received. Case dismissed. Blachmore v. Bryan. —This was an action to recover £12 Us., the balance of an account for board and lodging. The defendant pleaded a set-off, which was admitted in part. Judgment for plaintiff for £9 19s. and costs. The defendant thereupon became very insolent in his demeanour, aiid upon being ordered to be quiet persisted in his insolence., and openly insulted the Resident Magistrate in Court, for which he was committed to gaol for one calendar month, and was taken out of Court in the custody of Private Goodacre, of the armed Police Force. Tttrner v. Ashhy. —Cattle Trespass, damages £1 ss. This was simply a question of amount, and judgment was given for the plaintiff for 15s. and costs. Feniincli v. Peel. —This was an action to recover Ten Pounds damages, from the defendant refusing to complete the sale of some bullocks to the plaintiff. The plaintiff in his evidence stated that last spring he agreed to buy 3 bullocks of the defendant, and paid a pound to bind the bargain, the bullocks were to be taken away at Christmas ; that at the races Mr. Peel said that the bullocks could stay till March by his being paid 15 per cent. When Plaintiff went for them in March .(the 2nd), the defendant refused to deliver up the bullocks as the time had gone by, and they were worth ten pounds more than plaintiff had agreed to pay for them. Defendant, in his evidence, stated that at the races he had offered to keep the bullocks for 2 months for the 15 per cent, and that the plaintiff would not take his offer, as he said it was too much, and he was certain he told plaintiff nothing about keeping the bullocks till March. Plaintiff tendered me the original price agreed for the bullocks, £20, and the £3 for interest, but twt till the 15th or 16th of March. Case dismissed.

Her Majesty's Colonial Brisr,' Victoria, P. A. Deck, commander, arrived here-from Otago on Sunday last, with the Otago portion of the representatives for the General Assembly, on their way to Auckland. By this vessel we have copies of the Witness to the "25th ult. We extract the following from the issue of that, date : " It is just six years last Thursday since there appeared from our shores, as it were, a speck, on the horizon. It approaches nearer ami nearer : the discovery is made —a ship is in sight!—a ship bearing- to our harbour a little band of kindred spirits in search of a home, and prepared to encounter all the realities of an emigrant's life. They land, and being joined from time to time by other adventurous spirits like unto themselves, have formed die present society we see around us. Difficulties as usual have crossed our path, and been manfully overcome ; and now that we are advancing from infancy to maturity, a. new era is opening before

us. In a commercial point of view, we are pro. gressing satisfactorily. Year after year shows a steady increase in the value of our exports. The result of industry and perseverance is manifest wherever we go, and our people are contented under their improved condition. We say improved condition : for we are confident that few of our settlers could have attained that measure of independence and comfort in the home-country which they have acquired in this the land of their adoption."

To the Editor of the Lyltellon Times. Sir, —May I claim a corner of your paper fcr the insertion of the following interesting extract from Eliza Cook's Journal of Oct. 27th, 1849, forming part of" an article styled " The Far West," and which, after setting forth the goodly qualities of those vast tracts, proceeds as follows :— " Every facility is given for the settlement of emigrants in the unoccupied territory. A person wishing to purchase land can do so at once, and without expense. The price of choice [and is only a dollar and a quarter (five shillings and two pence half-penny), an acre ; and the title is obtained direct from the Government of the United States. When an emigrant has fixed upon a piece of land, he goes to the land office of the district, and takes out a warrant for the quantity he wishes to buy, deposits his money, and soon after receives a patent from Washington for his laud, which is registered in the country. There are no stamp duties to pay, nor is he bothered with any of the expeusive technicalities of English conveyancing. He settles down at once upon his land, and goes to work. 1' I remain, yours, Shagroon.

The Pkospects of England.—The prospects which are now opening to England almost exceed the boundaries of thought: and can be measured by no standard found in history. It is not by conquest that her empire is to be extended, neither is the power towards which she is advancing to be steeped in blood. The destiny which the present sera fortels her is to be {'ulfilled by promoting happiness, and she will grow prosperous as mankind becomes civilized. It is by introducing comforts into uncultivated regions: by making savage man familiar with the blessings which the utmost reach of mind has discovered ; by helping youthful nations into maturity, and by extending1 the pale of social intercourse, that the wisest, the most moral, and consequently the freest of nations, is to fill up the career which is now before her. Instead of making distant shores resound with her great artillery, she will bless them with the produce of her still greater engines of peace ; and her triumphs shall be illuminated, not by flaming cities, but by the mighty blaze which issues from her mighty fabrics of prosperity and happiness. These are the labours which suit the people that brought back peace to Europe ; and it is a just recompense that the strongest in war should be the foremost in industry. Quarterly Revieio. Coal Fields. —The extent of the coal fields in Great Britain is said to be 4251 square miles, and the consumption is stated to he 23,000,000 of tons per annum. It has been computed at 22,700,0.00 tons, exclusive of the coal consumed in the manufacture of hardware and cutlery. If coal costs the consumer an average price of 7s. per ton, then 22,700,000 tons will be worth in all, nearly £8,000,000 sterling per annum. Mr. M'Culloeh estimated the total number of persons employed in the work of collieries in Great Britain,"at from 160,000 to to 180,000 ; and that the total capital employed in the British coal trade is no less than 13,000,000 o, money. — The Traveller's LibraryThe Pickwick Papers.—.Mr. Daw, who accompanied Colonel Chestney up the Euphrates, has recently been in the service of Mehemei Ali Pacha. Pickwick happening to reach Davy while he was at Damascus, he read a part of it to the Paeba, who was so delighted with it, that Davy was, on one occasion, summoned to him in the middle of the night to finish the re«i'iinj» of some part in which they had been interrupted. Mr. D'ivy read, in Egypt, upon another occasion, some passages from those unrivalled papers to a blind Englishman, who was in such ecstacy with what ho heard, that be exclaimed he was almost thankful he could not see be was in a foreign country, lor that while he listened, he felt completely as though he \veru again n\ England.