LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 9 November 1916, Page 3

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

SUPREME COURT. WELLINGTON. flB UNIT*n PBBBB ABSOOIATTOW WELLINGTON. Nov. 8. fn the Supreme Court lour men. Goo. Crowther. JHoeior McLean. Charlo-, Haz•"Miuo, and John :l);iintrv Cimpbol! Mii'ch. all serving long sentences in the Tpithco Gaol for serious crime-;, woro chained with attempting to break out of gaol and assaulting Warder Sp tfrd, causing bodily harm. All ■wen found guilty iin<l remanded for sentence. Convictions ivcc also recorded in the cases of Maude YYdliams<n on a ctiarge of bigamy, and Frederick I'Mwnrd Spliam. forgery and uttering, the sentences being deferred. THE~ BUTTER TAX. AYKLLJNGTON, S : >v. 8. In the course of dlpsinting from the judgment iu t!hi» butter ease, .Sir H:bort j Stout (Chief .lustier) sa.'<l sur.lv Par- i lia.meut <! d not nie.iu to abrogate eon- j stitutional practice and destroy eon-I siituthmal system i'c^i-"(l : taxation.) Me disagreed^-.th the coiituuion that the Governor-in-Cnuned could delegate Ins powers to the liceiis n<r authority. Such a thine; would mean the destine- j t.ion. of that liberty which our ancestors j had won |or us through many trials and i tribulations. Penally lie cons<lorc<l the! money raised hy the butt; r-I'at tax was '. Crown iiioney and con hi onlv be disposcd of as Parliament dociihd. Mr Jus-; two lOdwards and Mr Justice Chstpman I ruled the Old r-in-Comr ; l valid on all I points and sad that the charge ws not \ a tax and that the powers conferred ', on the Executive wc:e ■ i'a-iri.v escv- \ I'ised. | FLOODS TNTHE NORTH. m.ENH'EIM, ISW. 8. The "Wairau River has overflowed j its banks at Taumurini and Spr ng | Creek-, and serious damage has been , done to crops. Railway eoimmiiroat.ion i between Blenheim and Petou is iut<-r- ' rupted. also the motor i-orvic..' between i [Minheim and Nelson. ; TAUAXAKL ISUIDGK COLLAPSES, j XKW PLYMOUTH Nov. 8. ! Continuous '24 hours' rain and the; wuinith of the atmosphere inching the; snow on .Mount Hgmout flooded til•" ; W'a, wakaiho River to an unpri et d nted <lgree. Ensiim took pla'.o on the oa.st , bank of the river and ■weakened' the j cistern end of the ferro-eoncretc 10-; year-old bridge on the main road to; Waitaia. an important traffic structure; connecting New_ Plymouth with the ex-j ■tensive, northern districts. At nine; o'clock to-night HO ft of tin- bridge col-j lapsed and all l rath.- was suspended. | The Government and local bodies huve j lor a considerable time past been pre-j paring to give protection to the brdge! piers bv the erection of a barrage just below tho bridge, thus saving the orosiou.