THE CENSUS.

Wellington Independent, Volume X, Issue 1319, 22 December 1858, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CENSUS.

By an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, dated 3rd July, 1858, the census is to be taken up by the General Government this year; and for general information we publish the threj following clauses of the Act;— 7. Every sub-enuraerater shall, between the first and twenty-fourth days of December, (both inclusive) in the years appointed, leave at every

dwelling-house within bis sub-district one or inofe of the said forma of returns to be made by the occupier or person in in charge of such dwelling-house; and every such occupier or person shall fill up and supply in the said forms to the best of his knowledge and belief, the mutters and particulars which may by tbe said forms and any instructions accompanying the same be required ; aud shall sign the said forms with bis uume; aud deliver or cause to be delivered, the said forms so filled up aud signed, to the sub-enumerator authorised to receive the same;

8. Every sub-enumerator shall, within his sub-district on the twenty-sixth day of December, or as soon alter as practicable, demand aud receive the said forms at the dwelling-houses where the same shall have been left, and in case such forms from any cause shall not have been filled up, or shall appear to have been insufficiently or erroneously filled up, such subeiHiinerator shall forthwith proceed to ascertain, from the occupieis or persons iv charge of such dwelling-houses, 'such matters and particulars as may be necessary to enable him to correct any errors, or supply any deficiencies in such forms ; and shall then aud there, in case be iill up the forms entirely himself, sign the same with his own name, or in case be make corrections or supply deficiencies only, shall uiark such corrections and additions with his initials

9. The several enumerators and sub-enu-merators are hereby authorised anil required to make all such inquiries ol all persons whatsoever with reference to all such mutters and particulars, as may bj necessary for filling up the said forms; and every person who shall wilfully relua-j, or, without lawful excuse, neglect, to till up the said firms t.i the best of his knowledge or belief, or to sign and deliver the same as herein required, or who sh-i.ll wilfully refuse or neglect to niiiwer, or shall wilfully and untruly answer any such inquiries as aforesaid, ur who shall wiifully make, sign, or deliver, or cause to he made, signed, or delivered, any false return of all or any of the matters ur particulars uf.iresaid, or who shall obstruct any person in tiie perfuniMnce of any duties imposed ou him by or under tha authority of this Act, shall forfeit a sum not exceeding twenty pounds.

Schedules will be left with every family on or before 24th December current, and the head of every family ,uust insert in the schedule left with him, tne nanus, <.W, of every individual who slept under his ro.»f or on his premises on thenigntof24th De-ember, and must also fill into the schedule or furnish the sub-enumerator witli the iuFirinatiou necessary to enable him to do >o, ami must return tlie schedule when it is called f.ir, ajij give true information, otherwise In or she will be liable to a penalty of £20 as aoove.— O ago Colo'iist.

Sea Wages—The " Soothebx Cuoss."— CauUin Mourilyan, the m.ister of the shin Southern Cross, from New Zealand, appeared before Mr. Yardley, on Tuesday, to answer the claim of a seaman v imsd James Gordon, who claimed a balance of £50, though the balance actually due was £ii 4, but he had reduced his c:aun to £50 to bring the cas? within the juris- '■ diotwn of the magistrate. The delendant went out as chief mate of ihe ship, and succeeded to the coin.nand in the course of the voyage, fue complainant originally shipped at £3 per month, and on the arrival of the ship at Wellmgtoi. (New Zealan-!) several men deserted, and to keep the others 011 board, it was agreed that the others should receive £6 10s. per iiuiuth, and an endorsement to that effect was inadd upun the article* of agreeuien , and certified by the Comptroller of Customs —The defendent repu liated the new agreem.-nt made by his predecessor, and £34 only was offered to the complainant.—For the defendant it was contended that the second agreemei.t was void and of no effect, not only an immoral one, but contrary to public policy. Theie was no consideration for the new agreement. The complainant, with other-!, shipped for £3 per month for the whole voyage, and the character of the voyage had not been changed. If such an agreement was ratified, it would be of no use for masters and seamen to mutually agree fora certain rate of wages in England.—Ms. Yard ley said the decisiou of Lord Ellenbjrough in a case very much resembling this was conclusive. He could not, with that, and other decisions uf the judges before him, come to any other conclusion than that the new agreement made at Wellington was not binding on the parties. He could not give effect to the new agreement, and order the extra wares claimed. The agreement was entered into by a former captain, hut the present one, of course, took upon himself the contracts of his predecessor, as far as they were legal. He very much regretted it was necessary for the owner to repudiate the agreement entered into with the seamen in New Zealand. He did not like such a mode of playing fast and loose with sailors. He thought it would be politic as well as liberal to give the complainant something as a gratuity. The former captain proposed the new agreement, and good faith should be kept with seamen.—The defendant said that the wages had been increased from £2 10s. to £3 per month, at the commencement .of the voyage, on condition that'the men remained by tht ship all the voyage. He was instructed by his owner to resist the demand for extra wages, and he cnuld not pay the complainant anything.—Mr. Yardley: lam sorry it was necessary to induce the men to stick by the ship by such a trick as this, to get them to sign new articles, and enter into an agreement it was never intended to carry out. It is not a straightforward proceeding in any point of view, and one very much to be deplored. I dismiss the summons for the reasons I have stated, but I think it would have been much more creditable for both owner and captain if the case had never been brought into court.—The sum of £34, the balance admitted hy the defendant, was then paid to the complainant.— Mitchell's Maritime Register.