NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 3011, 24 December 1896, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Press Association, Dunedin, December 23. • During the hearing of a charge of housebreaking against a lad to-day, counsel drew attention to au anomaly in tho Criminal Code by which Justices wore not permitted to deal with the case. The lad made no denial of tho charge, but simply because he stole goods from a dwelling bo had to suffer tho hardship of waiting in gaol for over two months before the trial.

In the Stipendiary Magistrate’s Court to-day Mr Carcw, S.M., gave judgment that a claim for wages took precedence of an attachment order. A judgment debtor who had a small contract had been paid on account, leaving a balance of .£2los duo ; tho judgment creditor took out an order to attach tho balance owing, but a son of the contractor gave notice under tho Workmen’s Wages Act to retain the money, JB2 Bs, due to him for wages. The Stipendiary Magistrate therefore • declined to allow tho attachment order. In the theatrical action Lohr y. Cameron, for breach of contract in connection with the use of the City Hall, Mr Carow, S.M., found for the plaintiff, and awarded him .£SO damages, with costs. Auckland, December 23. Captain Winkler, of the German.warship Buzzard, is paying a visit to the Lake Country. A young man named Ernest Hanswoll Bennett, adjudged a bankrupt in June last, was brought up at the Police Court to-day charged with failing to keep proper books of accounts in his business, and that ho contracted a debt for .£33 16a 8d with John Jones when ho had no expectation of being able to pay the same and that his bankruptcy was attributable to rash and hazardous speculations. It was stated that the bankrupt’s debts totalled -Clllß,while the realised assets were ouly worth £5170. The accused said ho had paid men to keep books for him, as be did not understand bookkeeping himself. Mr Northcroft said people must bo protected against those who traded with them and were not honest. Under the circumstances ho did not think ho could inflict a less sentence than one month’s imprisonment with hard labour. The National Bank of Now Zealand have sent away by the Waihora to Sydney for transhipment to London five boxes of bullion, containing 5365 ounces of gold. Application having been made by cable for an extension of one month from the time of option re the Four-in-Hand G M. Co., the directors unanimously resolved to decline the request.