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New Zealander, Volume XIX, Issue 2025, 26 December 1863, Page 5

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

POLICE COUP i\—Thursday.

A New Zealand Gazette was issued on Wednesday, containing an order in Council authorising additional postal regulation No. 815, as follows : —" All sea-borne Mails to be kept open to within two hours of the departure of the Mail from the Post Office. Each Chief Postmaster shall cause Letters for Great Britain and Australia to be received at his office after the closing of the general Mails, to be made up into a supplementary Mail consisting of late letters only, and for each of which an additsonal fee of one shilling over and above the ordinary Postage Rate shall be paid in Postage stamps affixed to the letter. Such supplementary mails to be kept open until within twenty minutes of the latest period of despatch from the office." The Gazette also contains an order defining a certain reserve in the Province of Taranaki ; an order constituting Wardens Courts within the Otago Gold Fields, the establisment of the Marine Board, delegation of the Governor's powers under the ' Gold Field's Act 18G2,' and also of 1863, to the Superintendent of Otago; prison regulations in Otago; a warrant constituting petty sessional districts ; a reward of £4,000 for the discovery of efficient means for rendering the flax and other fibrous plants of New Zealand available as article of export; the ' Sheep Act,' 1803, ' Amendment Act,' and the ' Sale of Bread Act,' 1863, left to their operation ; the ' Empowering Act,' 1863, Amendment Act assented to ; the following Militia and Volunteer appointments, viz.:—ln the Auckland Militia: —Ensign Robert Williams Wynn to be Lieutenant ; date of Commission —12th December, 1863. William Hobson Coates to be Ensign; date of Commission—20th October, 1863. Harry Travers Owen to be Ensign ; date of Commission —4th December, 1863. Henri John Jones to be Ensign; date of Commission—l9th December, 1863. In the Mauku Rifle Volunteers, John Thomas Melsopp to be Lieutenant; date of Commission—2nd December, 1863, &c, &c. A long discussion' took place in the Provincial Council on Thursday, on the subject of grants of land to our local forces. Some honorable members appeared to think that as virtue is its own reward, so volunteers and militia-men ought not to be so mercenary as to expect any other. It was arprued by others that the whole affair was premature, while the great argument of the executive was that they had not the land to spare. After many amendments had been proposed and successively rejected, the original proposition was put and also rejected. -The matter is therefore settled for the time, but there is no reason why it should not be re-opened hereafter. Economy in the expenditure of public money is undoubtedly a very good thing, but even a virtue may be carried to excess, and we think that this fact has lately been exemplified by the Colonial Treasurer. We understand that some of the inferior Government officers whose salaries had been raised by the Ministers themselves before the session of the Assembly began, have duly received their salaries from July Ist, the stated commencement ot the financial year. Others, however, whose salaries were raised for the financial year, 1863-64, in the committee on the estimates in the House of Representatives, do not begin to receive their increased salary till January Ist, 1864, when one half of the financial year will have passed. We think the Colonial Secretary must have inadvertently overlooked the hardship he is thus inflicting. As the salaries in question are in general but low, the saving thus effected is small, while the additional six months' salary would be a very acceptable Christmas offering to the recipients who are no doubt in anxious expectation of such a boon. The Essay and the Discussion Class, in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association, held its half-yearly meeting on Wednesday evening at Mr. Cox's office, when the report was produced and read by Mr. Laishley, jnn., and the usual routine business disposed of. The members meet again in March next for the resumption of the business the class.

Thursday. [Before Tuos. Beckham, Esq., R. M.] There were very few causes of action entered for hearing in this Court, and only two or three cases came on for hearng. AITK EX V. AVERT. Claim £4 14s. 2d. for milk, sold and delivered. We were in error last week in stating that judgment was given for the plaintiff. His Honor reserved judgment and to-day gave his decision, lie said that plaintiff had himself broken the contract and the judgment of the Court would be for the amount paid into Court.

[Before Taos. Beckham, Esq., 11.M.] BREACH OF SHEEP ACT. John Grigg, of Otahuhu, was charged by Francis Charles Lewis with a breach of the 25th clause of the Sheep Act, at Xewmarket on Thursday the I7th instant, by having five sheep above the age of four months uubranded with his registered sheep brand. Mr. Grigg pleaded guilty, but said the sheep had just been bought in the market and were reserved for killing at Christmas, they had only been shorn a few days previously. Mr. Lewis wished under these circumstances to withdraw the information, but expressed his intention to proceed against all parties who neglect to have their sheep properly branded. His Worship aid the Court would not inflict more than a nominal fine, and from the publicity which would be given to the case, he hoped agriculturists would see the necessity of having their sheep properly branded. Fluid Is. and costs.

DRUNKARDS. Edward Lewis, John Brett, William Rees, and James McPhce were fined ss. each and costs.