District Courts.

Otago Witness, Issue 1506, 25 September 1880, Page 14

District Courts.

WELLisaTOU, September 22nd. With reference to my telegrams last night regarding the intentions of Government as to District Court retrenchment, I find that by directura of the Governme,.fc returns have been recently prepared ahowing the amount of bnsiness actually transacted at the various Distrtot Lpurfcs, with a view of asc rtaining whether in any case they could be stared without prejudies to the public convenience. In the Auok. land judicial district during thefirgtsix months of the current year the District Court dealt with 73 civil and 4 criminal oases, sitting at Auckland, Qiaborne, Hamilton, and Thames at various intervals. In Taranaki there were 37 civil cases and 1 criminal trial, the Court sitting at New Plymouth and Carlyle. In Hawke'a Bay the Court sat 28 times, dealing with 4 criminal 'and 33 civil cases. Ia the Wellington district the Court sat 20 times, the sittings being distributed among Wellington City, Greytown, Masterton , Palmerston, and Wanganui. The cases were 8 criminal and 30 civil. In the Nelson district the Court sat 34 times', the places being Nelson, Motaeka, Reefton, |and Westport, and the numbers of oases 67 civil and 3 criminal. Of these, however, 59 belonged to the town of Nelson, Motueka having none at all, Beef ton only 3, and Westport but 9. The Marlborough Court sat six times eaoh at Pioton and Blenheim, and only one single oa3a was presented. In Westland the Court sat nine times eaoh at Hokitika and Greymouth, bufc only 1 criminal and 9 civil cases came before it In the whole half-year. At Hokitika the Court had only X criminal and 2 civil cases to deal with in nine sittings, and at Greymouth bat 7 in the same number of sittings. In Canterbury the Court sat 33 times, viz., at Christohuroh, Ashburton, Oanoarn, Tfanatu, and Waimate. dealing with 2 criminal and 83 civil oaaea. Ia Otago the Courts held 54 sittinga, viz , 6 eaoh at Dunedin, Invercargill, (Oamaru, Palmeraton, and Milton: 3 eaoh at Alexandra, Arrowtown, Clyde, Cromwell, Lawrence, Nasoby, Queanstown, and Tapanui The canes adjudicated on numbered 4 criminal and 135 civil j but these were most unequally distributed. For iastance, Invercargill had 72 cases, Dunedin 17, Lawrence 15, and Oamaru 11 • but Alexandra, Arrowtown, and Naseby had none at all. Clyde and Tapanui only 2 cases, and Qu-3eu«t»vrci 3 in all. This shows that there ia a large opening for economy, and I have reason to believe the Government will cut down expenses to the utmost. Further economy may probably be effected by utilising the services of some Native Court Judges, whose time is by no means fully occupied, as deputyjjudges in the District Courts.