RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 188, 9 August 1859, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Wednesday, August 3. Before the Resident Magistrate. William Stanton v. Haydon, for £3 16s. Bd. Plaintiff produced an -acknowledgment from de^ feudant. , Judgment for plaintiff. ' • Wi'ikie v. Lange.—To recover £9 4s. lid. for iron supplied to defendant, Who did not appear. Plaintiff produced bis books, and received judgments King and Goodman v, Mason, for £11 2s. 9d. Mr. Kingdori appeared for defendant. Judgment for plaintiffs, payable in fourteen days. Friday, August 5. George Barrett was brought up on a charge of borse-stealing, but was remanded till a late hour, the prosecutor and witnesses not having had time to reach Nelson. On their arrival he was put at the bar, and the information being read, Joseph Wagstaff was called. On being sworn he said: 1 missed the horse about the 11th May last, from Maddox's Bus!). I did not suspect the prisoner. I did not do so fur eight or -nine days after, when upm making inquiries after looking about a week, I heard that Mr. Warnock had seen her last, and upon seeing him he told me that he had had her to get a Ally of his own in that was running with her. After catching the filly Mr. Warnock was going to lurn her on to the run. I suspected prisoner. I then made-inquiries of Mr. Kite as to what character he tnre. No one knew anything about him, or where he had gone to. I suspected he had gone to the Wairau.. I was advised to go to Mr. Wooley's, at Appleby, and was there told-that he had gone to the Wairaii. Going to the WakefieldArms, I met the prisoner and Mr. Wooley. Tasked him.about the mare, and he .said that she'had broke away from him in the bush. From his evasive answers I had suspicions of him. He said he had been a week at Fuller's, at Wakapuafca, then came to town, and went to the Wairau in Askew's schooner, and that he came back, by the steamer. I asked some more questions, and he prevaricated. ,1 applied,for a .warrant, but not having? sufficient evidence I made inquiries, and discovered that he had arrived by the Gipsy, from Canterbury. From this I was led to believe that he had sold the mare there. I got a warrant, and went with it to Canterbury, and found jmy mare in the possession of Mr. Dampiers'Shepherd Connor^ who had bought her for £52. Prisoner received £20 on account, and the remainder was, I believe, to be paid to Mr. Kite. Mr. Baigent went with me to identify the mare, which we did, when Connor at ouce gave her up, saying lie had heard from one of Mr. Saxton's men, who had just come through, that she was stolen property, and belonged to me. The prisoner declined asking any questions. , David Warnock sworn, deposed : I know the prisoner. He came to my house on Friday, May Bth. He came on a horse, saying he was going for some sheep, but' waited til.l Sunday morning, the river being high. He .assisted o>,e in getting in a filly of mine which was ruuuing with Wagstaff s mare. We drove them up to my place, and having got my filly with my own mare, was going to take Mr. Wagstaffs mare down to the run. Some.one then called me, and the prisoner offered to take the mare down to the run. He led' her away in a baiter of his own. This was the last I saw of her/ , The prisoner 'pleaded guilty, and was then committed for trial.

. ' • Saturday, August G. ■ Wife Desektion.—-William Kite, of Richmond, who was at' that" time detained in the oustody of the police Junlil the Coroner's jury, sitting on the body of Gibbs, at Richmond, had given their verdict, was brought -before the worthy Magistrate to answer an information laid by his wife, whom lie bad deserted, leaving seven children in her charge. The case being proved, the defendant was ordered to make a weekly payment of 12s. Flax.—We have again received an excellent sample of prepared flax. On this decision it -comes from Messrs. Wastney ami Doughty, or1 Suburban North, who work considerable quantities of this article into twine, rope, &c.; it is also largely used by them fur filling mattresses. The.evident care with which this sample has been treated, goes far to induce the belief that this production will be fully recoguised in the London markets. Dis.TMCT Judge.—The Gazette of the 27th ultimo gives the official appointment of W. T. L. Travers, Esq., as Judge of the District Court, and Mr. John Sharp as Clerk. The sittings will commence on the 15th instant, and we believe the maiden court will not lack employment. Insolvent Law.—We copy the following paragraph from the report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, 28th July:—" The attention of bis Excellency's Government has again been drawn to the necessity which is felt for 'the: introduction-of.-ah efficient Insolvent Law; and a reply has beea received to the effect, that during the recess such a measure will be considered, and will be brought forward at the next session of the General Assembly." MoTUEKA Magistrates.—A meeting of the above took place last Saturday, and we are glad to find that the remarks made by us have been effectual, in so much that three were present. From not having given, any warning of their intended diligence, the public had not issued •any summonses, the late conduct of the Bench making such, waste paper on^former occasions. No business was therefore transacted; but as the Bench declared their intention of always forming a quorum on the first Saturday in each month, the settlers in that district may now look forward to their cases being attended to, and that those who have accepted office will not for the future shirk its duties. Notes from New Zealand.—A highly respectable member of the town council of Leicester, who left England last February, visiting Melbourne and Sydney on his way, thus writes from New Zealand:-—" Everything is full two thirds, 0r65 percent higher than in England. Melbourne' is grand ; Sydney is pretty ; Wellington (New Zealand) is a miserable, cold, uncomfortable place, built on the mountain. The passage through -Cook's Straits is very wretched; never again, except in a steamer, will Igo through it. Blind : Bay is very rightly named. Nelson is a little •bit of a town drifted overa nook underthe mountain range. The people are merry and good. You have to push through a long muddy road to get from the extensive harbour to the town. At New Plymouth I am detained four weeks, there being no road to get away and no vessel on the water; and have to wait fourteen days longer for the arrival of the White Swan ship, the distance being 250 miles from Wellington, the horse post does the distance in five or six d.iys. From Plymouth to Auckland is 150 miles; a foot-po-t does it every ten to fourteen' days. There is professedly a steamer which goes round to all the provinces once a month, charging 400 per cent more than your English tow boals, and having a subsidy from the Government also. This district is eaten up by the local and general expenses ; every individual connected with, the government being extravagantly paid,'and no virtue anywhere. The council now eat. and drink the money that ■should make roads to the interior. The natives are not allowed to purchase any intoxicating "•drinks, nor yet to have any given them, und<r penalty, and this law is as strictly canied out as cirurastances will admit; it works well, I can testify. White men get; drunk by licence, while the native under the law keeps sensible on 1 severe ; here is the bane, and also the antidote. I should also state that licensed hou-es shut up at ten o'clock, and all day on Su?idnys. Here . is plenty of good land, and well cultured also, but ■no one stays unless too poor to get away. Nothing but bad local government is the cause.. The duty upon imports is greater than all the experises from England here. The natives are, I .-verily believe, as good if not better customers . than the whites; although like our Scotch neighbours, whom they resemble mucli, they do not ■use shoes or stockings. If good, useful articles , are sent here, in moderate quantities, anice and • lucrative trade can be clone with safety. The . -■climate is delightful. Those who have to hire labour too often sink away in despair; whi-e those ;who work, yea, and farm labourers and parish apprentices, obtain estates and some beautiful parks, living cheerful, contented, wealthy and happy.—-R. S.—New Plymouth, New Zealand, -Sept, 20th, 1858." ■ . The Fate of . Leichhardt —We (Melbourne Age) are indebted to Messrs. Jas. Henty and Co. for the following extract from a letter received by that firm from a correspondent iv Swan River. The circumstance related by the writer is peculiarly interesting, as it may possibly lead to some certain discovery as. to the fate of the enterprising explorer Lsiehhardt:—Some time since some convicts escaped from the establishment here; they were •■pursued 'and ultimately taken near Mark's Bay, with the exception of | one who was stated to have died. After, their return here one of the men stated that the missing inau.had. been murdered. The result ;was ■. that the Government sent up a party in the Favourite, schooner, to search' for the body. The" vessel has1 just returned, and a circumstance has occured which perhaps may reveal the fate of Leichhardt. The convicts, in taking to the, •bush to avoid their pursuers, came across the skeleton of a man,; and near; him was a rusty .double-barrelled gun. This was brought away, but appears to have attracted very little attention at the time. It now appears that on a visit in search of the body of the murdered convict,, the party came across some huts, evidently built - by Europeans, some human-bones, and one or two more fowling: peices. I" am riot able to giv*e; you the precise particulars,, for I have been unable to see Dr. Arden, who-was-in charge of tileparty ; but from" what I have heard I think that'if the matter.-is.followed up,.'it'will.'turn out to. be'i all we shall ever*fina of theill-fated-Leiobbardit^j I'-belieye' that it has been" established .that ..he-did ■penetrateto.the .Victoria, and that his intention-:;: was to steer 'thence, to the Swan liiver., If these,/ ■shouid'be'bis remains, he. .must, have !been' not ■ ■•*mbr'eithan. eighty jntles from- our northern most-i "Sefcttefnrbiits; I 'will endeavour; to'get you: full reTy':on—mean]timevFgiveJ you> T%e; matter just aa I'hajve&eard it, -.;'--;:-'-- ■■'•'■■ • ■■-■:■'■•■ ■>'■■<■■ ■'■■ I