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Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12476, 1 March 1909, Page 4

The eccentricities of the law.. (says the "3STew Zealand^ Herald").-, are arhazing,: especially in the manner of its administration. We may often seek in vain for the reason which influences judges arid -magistrates in the apportionment of their sentences., An intelligent foreigner wo'ild draw some remarkable inferences concerning the relative importance oi offences from the diversities of punishment. An assault .on an innocent and unoffending person is often treated as of less gravity than an infringement^ of the licensing or industrial laws. » T In dealing with cases of theft the eccentricities of justice 1 ; are most _ marked. The man whb-steals little is, as a rule, punished with great severity than the man who steals much. The clairvoyants who are at present .much before the. public, and receiving punishment for being deceivers of tho. public, are not. always dupers, but ■find" themselves duped occasionally (says the ''-"Melbourne- Age.") One instance. "Within the.; last three months a' lady '. pretender. residing in • A' Beckett street, city, was visited by a man who carried an innocent oxprcssiori of - countenance. He paid a small fee,. and. being asked what ho wanted to loam, he told her that he had backed a racehorse to the" amount; of 105... Would it win? The lady studied the lines on one of his hands, and affirmed that the steed Ho had bet-.on would win.' "Well," said herpatron, "if it does I will give you sufficient money to buy a dress with. 1 ' '■ The horse named won. Tho man, true to his word,.. called on tho lady- clairvoyant in a rejoicing mood. .She was gladly. sympathetic.-' ■ "Here," said he , "take what you require for your dress out of that," tabling a £10 note. The woman claimed £3, and returned the change. Subsequently she was shocked to find that the £10 note was a.pounterfeit,