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New Zealand Mail, Issue 657, 26 September 1884, Page 22

The civil business in the Resident Magistrate’s Court is each week increasing to a most alarming extent. On yesterday week there were between eighty and ninety cases set down for hearing, and last Friday there were no fewer than ninety-two cases on the sheet for hearing before Mr Wardeli, R.M. Of course, the majority of these were either undefended cases or those in which the claims sued for were confessed before they came into Court. Only two cases were dealt with at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and the proceedings did not occupy many minutes in their transaction. One person, who was charged with drunkenness, but who did not surrender to his bail, was, in his absence, fined 10s. An able seaman belonging to the barque Cape Clear, named Davis, pleaded guilty to having absented himself without leave from his vessel. Sergeant iMajor Goodall informed the Bench that Captain McLean did not wish the accused to return to duty, and he was sent to gaol for seven days. The presiding magistrates were Messrs Dransfieli and T. W. Young. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court Tuesday, before Messrs J. E. Smith, J. R. George, and C. J. Toxward, Julia O’Byrue, who has a number of aliases and 25 previous convictions recorded against her, pleaded guilty to being an habitual drunkard. She was fined 10s or 48 hours. Jessie Thompson, who was remanded last week on the charge of stealing £25 from a man, was not able to brought from gaol on account of her suffering delirium tremens. Mr Micaiah Read, the gaoler, stated that the accused would not be in a fit condition to be brought before the bench for some days to come. The prosecutor, Patrick Walsh, did not answer to the subpoena served upon him to attend as a witness, and a new summons was ordered to issue. John Benge and William Corbett were each fined Is and costs for permitting their horses to wander. Samuel Young was fined in a like amount for permitting his goat to be at large. Henry Walker, in his absence, was fined 5s for having driven bis vehicle through the streets after dark without providing a light. At the sitting of the Hutt Magistrate s Court on Wednesday, the ody case heard was that of Brant v. Moore, a claim for £6 for goods supplied. The bench was occupied by Messrs Fitzherbert and Manning, J.P.’s. Judgment for the amount claimed, with costs, was given for plaintiff.