POLICE COURT.—Monday.

New Zealander, Volume XIX, Issue 1844, 14 April 1863, Page 3

POLICE COURT.—Monday.

MARRIAGE OX A FALSI-: CERTIFICATE, Alfred Beaufort Nevill Ferns, alius Alfred Beaufort Nevill, private in the 40th, was brought up on remand on the charge of making a false declaration before the Registrar-General, in order to obtain a marriage certificate contrary to the provisions of the Marriage Act, 1854. The Rev. D Bruce, deposed : I am the officiating clergyman at St. Andrew's Church ; I produce the Register of Marriages which have taken place at that Church ; on the 27th of March there was a marriage celebrated between Alfred Beaufort Nevill Ferns and Susan Wells; lie is entered as a miner; the entry is in the handwriting of the clergyman who officiated, the Rev. John Thoni, who is now stationed at. Taranaki. Questions as to name and age are put by the clergyman to eacii party, and the entry made accordingly. The information is also contained in the marriage certificate, but it is customary for the clergyman to put these questions. The record is signed by the parties themselves ; the signature of the woman is difficult to make out, whether it is Wells or Wills; the man's signature is very pood. Susanna Wells ; dep'osed : My father's name is Sydney Wells ; my maiden name is Susanna Wells ; I know the prisoner; his name is Alfred Beaufort Nevill Ferns; I was married to him last Friday fortnight by the Kev. John Thom, at the Scotch Church. About a fortnight after being married, I told my husband that I was eighteen on the 2nd of March. We were married on a Friday,—l think the last Friday in March (the •27th.) I did not know anything about a marriage certificate being necessary. Cross-examined by the prisoner : It is by my desire that the present proceedings were instituted. It is not by Barber's desire. His Worship addressed himself strongly to this witness on the impropriety of her conduct. The prisoner reserved his defence till his trial. His Worship said, of course the prisoner must be committed, but there could he very little doubt that if the ends of justice were satisfied, the witness Barber would be in the same, position its the prisoner. He, a corporal, a senior officer, went, to the Registrar's office twice with the prisoner; participated in the misdemeanour of a private undr his control, when it was his bounden duty to have informed against him; accompanied him—giving a colour to the lie he was telling; encouraged him in the misdemeanour which he knew ~.ie was committing; witnessed the marriage, and, that the prisoner might obtain the certificate, declared that he himself was the sole relative of the girl; told Morris so, leading that man to countenance what was manifestly wrong, and then in Court denied it; but there, couid be no doubt in the world that Morris had told the truth and that the other had not; and after all this, he was the first to lay information against his friend: after helping hiru and encouraging him to commit the misdemeanour, he turned rounci, laid an information, and absolutely became his prosecutor. A more abominable thing could scarcely be conceived. The whole of his conduct showed how unworthy he was to wear those stripes, and he (Mr. B.) trusted he would not have them on his arm much longer.

The prisoner stood committed to take his trial for misdemeanour. DEUXKAKDS' LIST. Robert Hay, nine days imprisonment. DESERTION OF WIFE AND CHILD. John Gallagher, bushuaan, was charged with deserting his wile and child at Henderson's Mill bush, on or about 27th March, and lea-ring them without support since that date. Prisoner wished the ease to be postponed, that he might get a witness to prove that his wife left him of her own accord, As, however, he had been served with the summons on Friday, the Bench considered that he had had ample time to get his witness, and recommended him to settle the matter with his wife and take her home. The case was settled.