TUAPEKA POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 93, 4 March 1862, Page 6

TUAPEKA POLICE COURT.

February 25th. (Before Major Croker, R.M.) Thomas Gbodison, remanded from Friday last, was again brought up and charged with sheep stealing. From the evidence adduced, it appears that the sheep belonged to Thos. Addie, a butcher residing in Gabriel's, who had at various times since the prisoner cauiii into the neighborhood lost sundry numbers o his flock, amounting in all to forty. The present lot, i unbering IG, were seen in the prisoner's possession, and were sold by him to a- storekeeper Jiamed Scully. Addie swore positively to oiio of the 16 in possession of Scully, as being his property, and that he had not sold it, or authorised it to be sold. The prisoner in answer to questions put to him hy the Bench, stated that he had bought the sheep from a man named George Smith,whom he proposed to call as evidence on his behalf, if his Worship would allow a few hours to search for him. His Worship, although not believing in the existence of the presumed witness, allowed the prisoner until 4 o'clock for his production. At that hour the Court again sat, and no witness appearing, Q-oodison was committed for trial at Dunedin.

The Liverpool papers announce the death of Mr John Gray, " who achieved a world-wide reputation by his professional abilities in adjusting the compasses in iron ships." | ExTiuoiiDixAßr Ship.—Last week there was in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth, a ship of such unusual construction, and in relation to liar cost, employed in I such a homely trade, as to entitle her to an especial notice. Wo refer to the Curacoa, Captain Morse, a sloop-rigged, or dandy-rigged craft, belonging to the Severn Steam Navigation Company. For the purpose of trading on that shallow river, she is constructed to draw only six feet when laden with 140 tons dead weight. This great advantage is obtained by her being built of sfc.3l, and having a moveable keel, 'which is dropped down six and a-hal f feet when she is at sea. The keel runs only from the stem of the ship to the foremast, and when not in use is hauled up into a case which occupies the usual place of the kelson —the case is stuffed or packed to prevent the admission of water. The keel is hung forward to a swivel, and dropped aft by a chain which runs round the ship's winch on deck. When submerged, the fore end is even with the stern, the after end only is Gi feet down ; it thus tapers from 6^ feet to nothing. The Curacoa was built at Stock-on-Tces ; she is about 120 feet long, and registers 01 tons. She is supplied with engines of 40 horse-power, can stow about twelve and a-half tons coal, and usually expends about fifty cwt. in twenty-four hours. The eugines are well-beded aft. We are informed that her screw propeller has been altered no less tian six times, the spirited owners being most desirous of ascertaining the best principle for adoption in some ships of 300 tons which they contemplate having built. ■ The Ourauoa loaded a quantity of salt fro l Bromwich, and discharged fifty or sixty tens at the Pnoenix wharf outside Sutton harbour, and about the same quantity at Guy's quay, within the harbour. She left on Saturday for Pentewan, in Cornwall, to ke back China clay to the Severn. How a ship b lilt of such costly materials as stesl, and supplied wit'i a steam-engine, can pay her owne' s while thus occupied is a question for the conside -atiou of our watevside friends. Her crew, all told, consist of a ■naster, mate, and three seamen, one engineer, and one fireman. The freight obtained was Bs. 6d. par ton; by sailing vessel it would probably be 7s. 7tl. Her freight for clay, 7s. : by sailing vessel, say, 6s. The charterers by steamer are usually compelled tc load and discharge quicker than sailing vessel; this is the case with the Curaeoa. but this contingency is partly counterpoised by the fact that the heat of th< engine keeps the cargo drier, and consequently ir better condition, than if on board a sailing vessel After perusing these particulars, wo trust that oui readers will admit that the Curagoa %vas entitled to : special notice. The use of a moveable keel has beei adopted for several years in the (rut of Canso, Nortl America. — Plymouth Mail. The master of, the barque Robert Passenger .appeared on Tuesday, at the Williamstovvn Police Court to answer a charge preferred by Mr. Pilot Caught on behalf of the Pilot Board, of refusing; the service: of a pilot on his return trip on the 27th ult.,'frnn Otng-o. It appears that the 9th sec, 17 Vie, No 28, under, which Captain Francis was summoned, requires that vessels trading1 to this port must be regular traders, in addition to the master holding an exemption certificate from the Pilot Board, to ennbk them to go and come without a pilot. Captaii Francis admitted that he had refused the services o the pilot, but that he had held an exemption certificnte for the last six years. He also complained greatly o theioss of time and the great expense the owners o the vessel h«d been put to iiy the summons not having been served until Saturday last, at which time h< was ready for sea. The case was then postponec until the vessel's return from New Zealand, so as tt allow of mature consideration being given to it by tin Bench, as it would in future act as a guide for othei casns of a similar description.—Melbourne Age, 14t!

Reoiiuitino 'for the Federal Aumy.—Th Moniteur de I'Arnien is publishing a series of letter from JM. Ferri Pisani, Prince Napoleon's aide-dc camp, written during his visit to America. Th, following is well worth reading : —" We have at thi moment at New York the extraordinary spectacle a recruiting in full operation. Tlie great Barnum is thi model and master cf Jill citizens who aspire to th< honor of avenging tlie Federal flag, under the title and with tlie pay of captain, colonel, or general The brigade called the Excelsior, whicli is really: line body, had its central recruiting ofiice establishet in a fine houso covered with placards and flags. Ai immense crowd of people was assembled before thi 3xtensive balcony, ornamented with warlike emblems xnd hi the midst of which was stationed a inilitar; band, which delighted the crowd with its bursts o barmony. At intervals, a patriotic; speech was de livered, iv order to give its finishing touch to tin excitement caused by the music and the sight o ;he trophies. At a given moment, the spcake jave a sign to the people, and a general' nisi pvas made into the office, and the recraitin; ists were rapidly covered with signatures. In s jeneral way each corps in course of formation at Nev lurk lias a recruiting office in the Broadway, an im nense street similar to the Boulevards at Paris, an: ihere aro, in addition, large tents erected in tho publii squares. These streets form a little camp througl vhich circulates a curious and serious crowd, for a Sew York everything is done with gravity, as it is ii Paris witli mirth. It is certain that if such a cam} vere established on the Piaae de la Bastille, it woul». ;ive rise to mush liveliness, and many jokes on tin jart of the workmen of the Faubourg. What is mos imusing is tiie serious contrast between the gravity if tlie recruiter and of the recruits, and the style anc brci of the placards wliich are expose! by tlie one md read by tlie other. These placards of gigantii ;ize, represents for the most part a soldier of the Union exterminating his enemies, hut with exaggera ions of attitude, gesture, and expression which wouli nake one think that Cham had been exercising liis lencil on them. Underneath comes a patriotic appea kilfiilly mixed up with tlie particular claims wide! he commanding officer of tho regiment has t< mblic confidence. For instance, we read the followug ;—" Attention —Young men who are desirous of .vengiug the honor of their country! Where fill' you find a finer regiment than the Lincolr Jhasseurs, or the New. York Zouaves, &c. All then fficers are well versed in war, and the colone ,-as a pupil at the Military School, at West Point' rcry frequently the citizen who raises the regimen illy takes the position of lieutenant-colonel, leaving hat of colonel vacant, in order to attract tne public y the hope of seeing- it filled up hy some one frovr Vest Point—that is to say, by an officer of the standlg; army, a pupil of that school. The effect of thi* n tlie masses prove that they are possessed of gooi mse i:-id a certain degree of military instinct Text comes a recapitulation of the advantages seured by the Republic to tho recruits: —60 francs ! lonth pay; provisions in abundance ; good uniforms, nd a grant of land at the expiration ofthe term 01 jrvice. The principal parts of the placard are alays pointed out to public attention by a hand witli finger-post at cross-roads. The size of this indieaon varies according- to the importance of the noce. It follows, as a matter of course, that the md which is intended to direct the eye to the 00 ancs a month is a gigantic one. I have seen me halt-starved Irishmen fascinated by some of lose'diabolical liands, at the end of which is seen the lumerations of different articles of which the rations c composed—bread, wine, moat, vegetables, beer, c. As maybe supposed, there are some'examples unfair competition in those half commercial, half ilitary operations, for after the announcement of c lucrative conditions of tlie contract we see a kind nota bene, cautioning tlie people against other ices whichoffer advantages which are not sanctioned ■ Congress, and are, therefore, only visionary. For irimcnts wliich are already formed, but only want to mplete tlieir number, tlie placards always state that Iy a few are required, and we see the words— Lose no time, young men ; there are only twentye vacancies remaining to be filled up." As in the c by auction of clothes tiie paletot offered is nlys the last on band, but when that is. sold many ior last one are discovered. Sometimes enlistsnts wholesale are asked for, aud we see a icard with this announcement —" Wanted a npany of men of good character, commanded by a itain well versed in the military art. * Apply at a •tain number in a certain street.'-'