POLICE OFFICE. July 8, 1846. Before H. St .Hill, Esq., P.M.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 100, 15 July 1846, Page 2

POLICE OFFICE. July 8, 1846. Before H. St .H ill, Esq., P.M.

Richard Smith, George Smith, and John Hogg, were charged with assault, and aiding and abetting in a robbery upon the person of Gustavus Bailey, a private of the 991h regt. Joshua Shaw, private of the 99th regi., deposed, he was at the house of one Bet Kuowlan, on Thorndon Flat, in company with three civilians, two soldier?, and three women, the names of the two soldiers were Harry Yates and George Normanton, privates in the 99th regt.; he .wished Bailey to leave the house, but be would not ; he was not quite sober ; a subscription was entered into for grog, and while playing a game of cards with one of the civilians, two of the soldiers commenced fighting, and the lights were put out ; he then went out of the house ; he saw no more of Bailey until he heard him call out murder and robbery ; he then went back to the door of Bet Knowlan's house ; he was then struc^by the pris- ncr at the bar, George Smith ; .dpsjt not know t\ c person who robbed Bailey ; Yates and Bailey were scuffling while he was playing at cards with Richard Smith, and when the lights were put out. Gustavus Bailey of the 99th regt. deposed, he went into a house on Thorndon Flat, accompanied oy two soldiers of the 99th regt; ; the prisoners at the bar, Richard Smith, Geo. Smithy and John Hogg, were present at the house on Thorndon Flat at the" same time ; rose up from the table while lie 'was playirig at cards, and a private of tie name of Yates of the 99th regt. struck him, and knocked him down, and the lights were put out ; be got up and ran out of the house, and was followed by Smith and some' other persons; he had £3 : 17:6; was knocked down three times by the same person who pursued him, tnd the whole of the money, with a watch-guard, was taken from him; the money was in the purse and tied with a string round his neck, they were all taken from him by Smith, who exclaimed " we have got it," there were two or three other persons present, but does not know who they were, was stiuck by other prisoner besides Smith, it was between 12 and 1 o'clock at night ou Monday last.

George Normanton deposed, that he was at the house before alluded to in company with the soldiers and civilians on Monday night; he fell asleep and when he awoke Bailey was lying at the door, and the prisoner George Smith was lying on the top of him ; was going to pick him up when he was knocked down, Ba ley got up and ran away, George Smith and John Hogg ran after him, and Yates also ; lie washed the blood from Itis face and fell asleep, the prisoner Richard Smith was in the house during the whole of the time ; when he awoke the same persons and the three prisoners were in the room and also Yates; thinksit was Yates who knocked him down, when he went to assist Bailey he was quite' sober. William Fagg deposed, that a soldier who came out of the house told him it was a row between three soldiers, and he recognized Richard Smith as one of the civilians. Richard Smith and John Hogg were discharged, and George Smith was sentenced to 30* days imprisonment and hard labour.

A branch of the Unio i Bank o r Australia will positively be established at Portland in three mouths. Coal of good quality had been brought from the neighbourhood of Cape Otway to Geelong. — The total population of the district of Port Phillip is stated at 32,895, being greater than that of South and Western Australia combined.