News of the Ionic.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 130, 3 June 1891, Page 2

News of the lonic.

Wellington, June 3, A cable has been reoeived that the lonio left Rio for London on the 26 bh ultimo, and | the Maori on the 28th, ! Wellington Supreme Court. Wblunoton, June 3. Mr Chapman this morning applied for a speoiai jury in the dummyitm oase. The Judge asked what preoedent there waß, and Mr Chapman mentioned the oase of Allan aooußed of stealing amalgam on the West Coflßt last year, and of Oooper, an Asylum warder, oharged with embezzlement. The Ohief Justice said there were speoiai oirouni« stanaes in both those oaseß. Mr Gully objeoted, saying that it looked as though the accused was anxious to have the benefit of a jury drawn exclusively from the oiass to whioh he belonged, After considerable argument Sir J. J. Prendergast said he would give his deoision at 8 p.m.— The only other case on the list was that of Arthur Ellison alias Dunn. The prisoner is already Berving six months' sentence for obtaining money by telegraphing under a false name, and he waß now aooused of forging a reooipt whioh enabled him to get the money, He put in a speoiai plea to the effeot that the offences wore one and the same, The jury was directed to consider whether the plea was good, but misunderstood the direction and returned a verdiot of " not guilty." They were sent baok, but in the interval the Ohief Justice deoided on reconsideration that there was no neoessity to leave it to the jury. The foreman, on being recalled, said the feeling of the jury was that tho offence was praotioally the same and that the prisoner should not be punished twioe over for it, Tho Crown Prosecutor, though dissenting from this view, recognised that there was no likelihood of gaining a verdiot and offered no evidenoe, and the prisoner was discharged,