LAW AND POLICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2854, 31 March 1871, Page 2

LAW AND POLICE.

The quarterly criminal sessions of ifcfc Supreme Court opened and concluded on March 6th, before His Honour Mr Justice* Chapman. His Honour, in his charge to the Grand Jury, congratulated them on the calendar being the lightest since the discovery of the goldfields. There were only five cases altogether, four prisoners being charged with felonies of different kiiids, and one with misdemeanour. In two of the cases, the Grand Jury found no bills. In two others—one for larceny and the other for housebreakiag —the prisoners were acquitted on trial, The remaining prisoner, a man named George Murdoch, indicted for highway robbery on the Port Chalmers road, was found guilty on the minor offence o£ assaulting with intent to rob, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment witli hard labour. Two charges of libel arising during the contest for the Superintendency have been investigated at the Resident Magistrate's Court during the month. Alexander Macleod, secretary to the late election committee of Mr Reid (oue of the candidates for the office of Superintend' ent) was committed for trial at the ensuing criminal session of the Supreme Court on the charge of causing to be published a& alleged libellous placard concerning Mr Henry Driver. The case of Regina «. Dick (on the information of Macandrew), a charge of libel brought by Mr Macandrew, Superintendent of the Province, against the defendant, a printer, fo? printing the placard, was withdrawn upoa the defendant making au apology. The case of Regina v. Barton, in which, the defendant, as (late) editor of this journal, is charged, on two informations, with libelling the General Government, by accusing them of violating the aecresy ©f the Telegraph department, by unlawfully misapplying newspaper telegrams, has occupied the attention of the Resident Magistrate's Court for a considerable time, and is still being proceeded with.