Supreme Court.

Southland Times, Issue 11751, 2 June 1891, Page 3

Supreme Court.

[By Telegraph.].

Dcsedis, June 1

Mr Justice Williams' charge dealt with the calendar, which is unusually light. Geo. Clark pleaded guilty to embezzling the fuiids of the Prince of Wales Lodge, Manchester , Unity, at Port Chalmers. Hia counsel urged, in extenuation, that the absence of proper checks furnished a temptation to crime. He was senteuceel to three years' penal servitude. Walter Spurling received twelve months' hard labour for false pretences, and Christopher Conway six weeks for breaking the terms'of his probation. James Carney and Roderick McKenzie got two years for assault aiid robbery, and James Riddle eighteen months for burglary. The prisoners men- I tioned all pleaded guilty. William Nichols. for assault and robbery, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. The jury gave I Edward Martin the benefit of doubts iv j a charge of attempted burglary against him and he was discharged. George Berry was charged with " going through " Harris after he hud been robbed by Nichols but the case broke down and he was discharged. Wellington, June 1. The Supreme Court opened this morning Chief Justice Prendergast presiding. Referring to the case against Colcmau Phillips for dummyism, his Honour said there were two indictments (1) inciting certain persons to make wilful and false declarations ; and (2) aiding and abetting them to commit a breach of the Land Act. After reviewing at length the evidence taken in the lower court, the learned Judge said that, although he had goue >cry carefully through the Lind Act, he could find nothing expressed in its provisions to prevent anyone taking up land for another. This, however, was a point of law, and he directed the Grand Jury, if they thought the facts warranted t, to bring in a bill against Phillips, and leave the point for argument when the case came before a common jury. His Honour remarked that the Legislature were evidently under the impression that they had made provision in thp Act to prevent persons obtaining land on deferred payment or per* petual lease not exclusively for their own use, as section 13 had fixed a penalty to be inflicted in the case of anyone taking up land other than for his own use. Auckland, June 1. The criminal sitting* of the Supreme Co art opened this morning. In his charge to the Grand Jury Mr Justice Conolly pointed out that there were two serious | charges — one of murder and one of embezzlement. The latter waa especially serious as beiug against a public official, O'Hilloran, ; who had been postmaster and receiver of tho Property Tax at Whangarei. The Grand Jury found true bills against John Henry j Taylor for larceny, who, on his pleading guilty, was sentenced to twelve months, and against Gustave Peterson, who also pleaded guilty to burglary, and got twelve months.