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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 992, 24 June 1879, Page 2

Dr. Hector passed through here yesterday. That is satisfactory. We suppose we should be gratified at his having chosen to travel by rail rather than by steamer, because we have been afforded the pleasure of chronicling the fact that the worthy doctor is still alive. Perhaps we ought to thank the unpropitious weather for this straying of the Government geologist from his ordinary orbit. Be that, however, as it may, he has passed through this district, and, if " taking a lunar" at our magnificent country is likely to produce the benefits that should arisefrom having a Colonial Geologist, we shall doubtless be benefited.

We were going to remark that the case Gsorge Court v. Michael Studholme, arising out of the Waimate bush fires, is still unsettled, that several columns of the Timaru Herald are daily occupied with evidence connected therewith, and that there are upwards of 20 witnesses yet to be examined ; but this would mean that " the case is dragging on its weary length," and to say that would be to commit a violation of the care and respect which his Honor Mr Justice Johnston thinks should be observed by journalists when writing about the tribunal of which he is one of the Presidents. The Timaru Herald having, in an unguarded moment, given expression to some such sentiments, was reprimanded by his Honor. The following is a report of his Honor's remarks taken from this morning's Herald : "Before the case was proceeded with, his Honor referred to a paragraph which had appeared in one of the newspapers regarding it. He said that he considered the remarks made were extremely improper, taking the matter apart from the question of the dignity o£ the Court, and that he had known instances where jurors had been influenced by remarks which had appeared in newspapers. He spoke on the subject in order that the newspapers should not make comments upon cases while they were being heard, and said th.it such comments might be a sufficient ground for granting a new trial." AY hen his Honor had finished, " Messrs. Macassey and Joynt said they thought that the paragraph in question was intended as a joke, and the subject wa3 then dropped." It appears to us that if there was any contempt at all, it was committed by the two legal gentlemen, who dared to express such an opinion. Joke, indeed. That was adding fuel to fire. No one has any right simply to express an opinion about such things, without touching upon their merits in the slightest degree, and these lawyers had much less right to say that they imagined somebody had been joking at the expense of the Court. Our opinion is that no such thing as a joke was intended. How could anyone be jocular upon such a solemn subject ? Certainly the reporter who has had to sit there day after day listening to the legal gentlemen's dry nonsense, could not; nor should we think that the jurymen would feel inclined to treat the matter lightly. Neither the remarks of his Honor nor those of the two lawyers were, in our opinion, called for. If the Press is liable to i e pulled up so sharply, each newspaper will have to retain a judge to supervise all judicial matter before publication. How far such a course would be consistent with the liberty of the Press and the good of the public we will leave our readers to judge. The usual monthly meeting of the Waiareka Road Board will be held to-morrow, at 11 a.m.

The Suez mail left the Bluff at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, and should, therefore, arrive in Oamaru by this afternoon's train from Dunediu.

The Duntroon Post Office will be made a money order and savings bank office from the Ist July. The new buildings having been finished, the present office will be transferred to them, and will be in the care of Mr. Sunley, the present telegraphist.

The Timaru Herald says :—As showing the extraordinary height and force of the sea running on Friday and Saturday last, we may mention that one of Mr. Bruce's heavy baulk logs was carried clean over the beach into the Waimataitai Lagoon, and another into the "Washdyke, while a third was washed up on the railway line near the mill.

As evidence of the prevailing depression in the rural districts, even as affecting grass lands, the Mark Lane Express states that grass parks are being let in the north of England at a reduction of from 14 to 20 per cent, on last year's rents ; and the pasturage around Hamilton Palace, amounting to 1400 acres, was let lately for a fraction under L 2450, a reduction of LSOO on the rent of last vear.

The home station at Man:pori, the property of the Hon. M. Holmes (says the Otago Bail}* Times), was completely destroyed by fire about 12 o'clock on the evening of the 7th instant. The fire is supposed to have occurred through a defect in the chimney, which, from the height of the mantelpiece, was built with wood lined with clav. Although the building (which was worth L 500) was completely destroyed, the whole of the furniture, &c., was saved. The Western Star says the building was insured, but dots not mention for what amount.

To which sex do the angels, belong 'r This is the question to which ft section of the Auckland people are directing their attention. We have not become so advanced in things celestial as to devote our attention to the investigation of such knotty points. Mr. John Anderson, the contractor for the Tiniaru crane, has offered to defer the 60ton test until the completion of the first contract. The offer is likely to be accepted.

Mr. Beswick, lately a grain merchant at Tinwald, has been appointed Resident Magistrate of Lyttelton.