RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, This Day.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 140, 16 August 1866, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, This Day.

[Before J. Poynter, Esq., R.M.] CHARGE OF LARCENY;. Henry Ladd, junior, was charged by John Wilson, Waimea-road, with stealing a revolver on the 2nd instant, value £b. The prisoner denied the charge. John AVilson, sworn, said: On the 2nd August I lost a pistol from the kitchen. It was hanging up alongside the gun. I missed the pistol the same night, and gave information to Mr. Taylor, telling him I suspected a party of having stolen it. I subsequently got the pistol from Mr. Taylor. The prisoner was working for me on the 2nd August. I missed the pistol the same evening- The pfstol now produced is the same. It has been repaired John W. Taylor examined, said: I am a gunsmith. I got the pistol now produced from the prisoner, who brought it to be repaired. One of the springs inside was broken, and it wanted cleaning. The prisoner said he wanted it cleaned for some parties going to the Buller. He came for it on Tuesday last, and asked if it -was ready. I told him it was not. He made ho other remark. The prisoner had nothing to say in his defence. The boy's father handed a paper to the Magistrate, who said he could not see what iise it was. The Magistrate" addressing "the yo_th"'said, there could be no doubt of his guilt He was liable to 12 months imprisonment. He was' glad: to learn that he had not been charged .with a similar offence before. He would be obliged, however, to send him. to prison. He ought to have known better, and fronvwhat people said of him He had conducted himself honestly hitherto so far as could be ascertained. The prisoner would be sent to gaol for 3 calendar months, with hard labor, and it was to be hoped the punishment would prove"- lesson to him. In the case of Blackman and Tike, the tfesident Magistrate after, referring to. the accounts and receipt formerly given, gave judgement ' fpr plaintiff for £65 7s.'lod. and costs. ' ' ' ! ! '■>'■' — _•———«___•_■__■__••___■___•—■- ■_■____ ■—__■——■_■___ •_•__— wa

During the last twelve months Nelson has been devastated in no slight degree, by a fever, flood, a fire, and the feelings of its

Inhabitants, hair owed by tjie " incidents of a horrible tragedy, in the shape of a wholesale murder. But to 'none of these has it succumbed ; there have at each crisis been found those, who were ready to weep with them that wept; to clothe the naked and assist the homeless, as well as hardier and bolder natures to plan and execute such schemes as the Search Party, and the due guardianship of such mighty criminals' as now breathe within our gaol. In reference to the late fii'e, while we give all honor to those who at the risk of their lives clambered lip men's shoulders, clung to fragile piping on the sides of houses, and finally reached hazardous roofs in dangerous contiguity to the conflagration, or even already partially lighted, — -while as a city we feel proud of the liberal handed generosity, which, within a few hours of the melancholy catastrophe, showered down into the busy palms of the committee nearly £200 for the relief .', of the sufferers; of those of the gentler sex, who more silently gathered hoards of clothing for the naked ; while we give praise to the courageous "and energetic men amongst us, who so bravely worked the fire engine in theface of numerous difficulties ; while we offer hearty thanks to those of every rank and age, who enduringly carried.; forth household penates ; while our grateful hearts bound at the thought of all these good deeds born of noble aspirations. Let us not forget some whom public praise will never "reach, whom no medal will ever decorate, who in; silent lanes, .and shady places, freely opened their houses, went forth in the darkness, and tenderly carried the baby in its ' nighfc clothes, wrapped in perchance a shawl, or at best a blanket, whom little bare feet confidently followed, with the night wind blowing on their tiny-limbs, barely covered with a single garment.. Let us remember those who as domestics, earning 10s. a week, gave half that sum to the Relief Fund, or searched their not over abundant wardrobe, to see if haply something might not be spared for those, towards whom their gentle pity was so touching alive ; and more than all, let us never forget those who actually took in these houseless ones, and not for one day or two, but till such time as new tenements were provided shared the meal, and played the host right royally on such means as they had, with those, from whom they knew full weli no return could be expected. These are they who to our minds, earned most praise, though their good actions, after the manner and customs of all ages, may never come to light, but though unchronicled by press or parchment, they will have their own self-sustaining conscience sweetly whispering angelic blessings. And as long as Nelson rears aud holds such hearts as these, we feel we are right at the core, and can never far go wrong. — Communicated. A correspondent suggests that Condeli's corner where the fire recently took place, is admirably situated for a public market. The' land is a Maori reserve, but there -would be no difficulty in inducing the occupants to leave for a trifling consideration. A painful ease came before the Resident Magistrate this morning. A youth apparently about 16 or 17 years of age, was sentenced to three months* imprisonment for stealing a revolver. It was stated by the police that there is a place in town which harbors young fellows of this class, and whose proprietor induces them to keep late hours, and throw off parental control.' The father of the boy complained that his soh was locked in this place one night, and not allowed to go home. As the place in question is not licensed, the police have" no control over it. It. is desirable that parents . should keep a tighter rein on children who -. are addicted to loose company. They will do so if they wish them to escape the disgrace and punishment of felons. Thq following is a list of persons connected with, Nelson to. whom "rtied'ais.'have b^ awarded 1 "by the .Commissioners .of the New Zealand Exhibition '-.i^-Mv-. John Blackett; CE., for the .bdld !; design and'^sja.dcessfiil erection of several;'" "noVel ' 'irad " ingenious bridges; Mr. John Gullyv . for -liis beautiful water 'color drawings of the* Alpine aud other, scenery of New Zealand ; SirC Monro, for' his interesting essay on the botany of New Zea-

land ; Mr. J. C. Richmond, for his beautiful oil painting of Lake Rotoroa, and his. services as Honorary Secretary of the Nelson Local Committee; -Joseph Webley, for liis successful introduction of the manufacture of tweeds from New Zealand wools into the cbleny; Mr. A. S. Braithwaite, A.S.C.E., for his zealous services as agent for Nelson; Mr. John Rochfort, for his services to New Zealand as an explorer ; Mr. J. W. Tatton, for general zeal on behalf of the Exhibition, and his numerous interesting exhibits ; J. P. Robinson, late Superintendent, Vice-Pre-sident. An imperfect list was given some time ago. This is copied from the reports and awards of the jurors. A sad accident happened between 1 and 2 o'clock to-day, to a boy named Henry Webb. He was riding a horse which suddenly started off with him at the corner of Collingwood and Nile-streets, dragging him in the stirrups till it reached the Prince of Wales. Here the boy was disengaged from the stirrups and the horse gallopped away to his stable. On examining the sufferer it was fouud that he had a leg and arm broken and his head was severely injured. Medical assistance was at once obtained. A meetiug of the members of the Nelson Institute took place last evening, at which Messrs. Campbell and H. D. Jackson were chosen auditors. We see by a return laid before the House of Representatives, that the daily cost of the sittings of both Houses of Legislature, exclusive of the pay of permanent officers, amounts to no less a sum than £82 10., of which £70 is the "honorarium" paid to members. The G. R. Argus think the Government could weli afford to offer a handsome reward, say £1,000, for the discovery of a new goldfield, yielding a certain number of ounces of gol^| ; u a given time ; and smaller rewards for discoveries of less importance. We think also that the grant of £200 would have been far better spent as a subsidy to some party to apply the test of deep sinking in some suitable locality. The question of deep leads is a most important one, and we venture to say that there are many parties that would be willing to make the experiment if the Government would defray a portion of the cost. Compared with the gold-fields of Australia, says the Times, which abound with both quartz and ironstone, the Westland workings are singularly free from either, the latter especially being very rarely met with indeed. In nearly every instance, if an inspection of the auriferous drift be made, they will be found to consist of slate, sandstone and granite wash, intermixed with a very small proportion of q uart_, and now and then a stray ironstone is uncovered. We, however, have never until lately heard of gold being embedded in ironstone; but now we are told on reliable authority that a gentleman of this town picked up, during his rambles in the vicinity, a piece of ironstone studded with gold. This is pleasing intelligence, as it proves the existence of gold other than alluvial in the district, aud coupled with the reported find of a reef in the vicinity of the Arahura river, induces ns to hope that ere long quartz mining will become one of the staple supports of Westlaud. Taking in the whole extent of country from the snow to the beach, and (including a part of the Nelson province) and from the Buller River to the north to a point several miles below Jackson's Bay southwards, the reports which reach us from all the workings in hand are such as to warrant the idea (once considered ephemeral) that the diggings will take years to work put, and that, in the meantime, there is every probability that other resources will be developed, which will place Westland second to no other province as a permanent and thriving settlement, in every respect desirable as an abode -for the energetic and enterprising emigrant.. The G. R. Argus understands that the Nelson Government has it in contemplation to make a track from the Inangahua to.connect with the track from Nelson to the-Bul-ler ; and, also to make one, if practicable, right up to Collingwood. It is the belief that all the country intervening between th'e

Bulier and Collingwood is more or less auriferous. A party has been out- 'for sotne time . for the purpose of ascertaining the most practicable route for the proposed track. According to, the W. C. Times, in the Hokitika gaol lie several men, under remand, charged, more or less directly, with complicity either ih other murders or the murder of poor Dobson, or with abetting the gang, in various ways. Amongst these is the actual murderer of Dobson, if the statements made by Sullivan are to be relied on. It is understood that the latter will he brought down to Hokitika to give evidence in this case as soon as his presence as a necessary witness in Nelson can be dispensed with. The Hokitika Chronicle of the 10th has the following: — A loss of 500 ozs. of gold belonging to the Union Bank, was very narrowly escaped yesterday, on the escort coming from Ross. The saddle-bag, in which a bag containing that quantity of gold had been placed was very much worn, and shortly after the escort had started a hole, large enough to let the inner bag through was made by its weight, and that which would have been considered by a finder as a remarkably good ''patch," fell to the ground. The trooper, however, was not long in discovering that something was wrong, as the saddle having a good weight on one side of it and nothing on the other, shifted a little, and he then saw the deficiency. Sergeant Wilson, who was riding behind, was informed of the fact, and on retracing his steps foi' a sbort distance, fortuuately found the treasure lying on the road, from whence he at once took it into custody, keeping a sharp eye on his charge until it was deposited in a place of safe keeping in the town. We learn from the Chronicle the rush to the new Stafford Hill diggings is causing much excitement. Two new shafts were bottomed yesterday, and the prospects are said to be first rate. Crowds are flocking in, ahd storekeepers are eagerly looking for stands, and hurriedly commencing business at Staffordtown. They have already called for tenders to cut a track, one mile and a quarter from Staffordtown, in to the. new workings. It is generally considered that the gold that has been struck is a continuation of the lead from the Threemile, and it - : s worthy of notice that the main workings at Wodstock, Kanieri, Tucker Flat, Threemile, Ballarat rush, and this last discovered grouud all have the same magnetic bearings, namely, from south-west to north-east. Rumours have been current in Hokitika that gold in payable quantities had been found in the neiguborhood of the Taipo River, and that a rush thither had commenced. Our Hokitika contempary merely gives currency to the rumor, and cautions the miners that no definite information is to hand. A similar rumor was circulated some eight months ago, and proved unfounded. ~T During the year ending August 1, 1866, there have been issued at the Warden's office, Greymouth, 2000 miners' rights, 500 business licenses, 80 retail spirit licenses, 30 wholesale licenses, and 800 registrations. The period during which business licenses and miners' rights were issued is not quite a year; and it must also be remembered that a great many miners' rights and business licenses used in this district were issued at Hokitika and Teremakau. An attempt at suicide was frustrated the • other day by the caution of a druggist in Greymouth. A man named William Fagg, called at the shop of Mr. H. Williams, on Richmond Quay, and asked .for a quantity of laudanum. Mr. Williams observing the man to be in an excited state gave him blackdraught in lieu of.the poison.