LAW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5491, 23 June 1879, Page 2

LAW.

The only case of any public interest since the departure of the mail has been the Government prosecntion of Mr. R. Graham, for occupying certain native lands in the Rotorua District, the purchase of which, had been negotiated by the Colonial Government. The defence was, that the negotiations for sale to tbe Government had fallen through, and that the natives had invited Mr. Graham to settle on the land. The reply to this defence was, that the negotiations had been renewed at the time Mr. Graham commenced to occupy tbe land (7th Jan., 1879). A large number of witnesses were examined on both sides, and Mr. Graham was fined £5 (a mitigated penalty). There has been an action tried in the District Court, know as the great bull-stag case. It lasted ten days. The interest in the case arose out o£ the fact that the hearing of the cause presented a vast mass of conflicting evidence—the material witnesses for the plaintiff being, for the most part, aboriginal natives, and, for the defendant, Europeans. The facts are very simple. Major Te Wheoro received a present of a bull from King Tawbiao, in 1876, which he put on the run near Alexandra, making a profit by stud-servicee. The animal was valued at £50, and four other Maoris had 25 shares (or half the animal) between them. The bull was miseed from the run at Alexandra, and was subsequently found on land belonging to Thomas Hawke, near Mercer, but he was no longer a bull, but a bull-stag. Upwards of twenty-six witnesses were examined as to the identity of the beast, which the defendant said waa worth £5 at most. The trial took place before a " jury of four," who gave their verdict to tbe defendant. But the plaintiff has since obtained an order to stay execution pending an application for a new trial. Another case of S9me importance has also occupied the District Court for five days. Mr. R. C. Dyer on the 31st of January last had 40 acres of bush destroyed by fire, proceeding, as he alleged, from adjoining land, the fire having (according to the plaintiff) been lighted by the defendant (Neil Thompson) for the x>urpose of " buring off." The question here was as to the origin of the fire, and the evidence was very conflicting. His Honor Judge Fenton reserved judgment. Lt came out during the proceedings that his Honor will resign the judgeship of the District Court at the expiration of tbe current mouth. The quarterly eesaion of the Circuit Court for gaol delivery will be held on the 7th July. No serious case is as yet on the calendar. The number of offences up to the present is fifteen.