WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 52, 25 April 1874, Page 7

WEEKLY EPITOME.

A PIBB, which at one time threatened to be of a somewhat serious nature, broke out about nine o'clock on Monday morning last, in Cumberland street. It appears it originated on the premises of aMr Forrester, and quickly extended to the houses adjoining. Mrs Forreßter states that shortly after breakfast she lit a fire under the boiler in the kitcben, with the intention of doing some washing, and supposes that a sp'irk must have caught the loose clothes lying about. Hiving occasion to leave the room, on her return the found it bo filled with smoke as to render admi f tar?ce impossible. She immediately gave the alarm, but btfore any preventative measures could be taken the brick, portion of the premises "Was in fla,ines. lhe fire bell gave out the alarm, and the brigade in the space of about twelve minutes were upon the spot, but the house was completely gutted before the fire could be got in baud. They however, succeeded after some eXertiou in arresting its progress, wh.ch considering the buildings were all of wood, at one time seemed rather doubtful. Mr Forrpster has lost everything, the furniture being all consumed, and though insured in the Koi'Aich Union for £100, he estimates Ins loss »t £200, £20 of which was iv cash. The families iv the other houses have also lost considerably, their furniiure and effects being mateiially damaged in their hasty removal. The building was owned by Mr Cutten under a lease, which expires in two months, but fortunately a few months since he effected an insurance in the ATorwic i Uniou for £300. Great praise 18 due to the bugdde for the manner m which they -worked, and it is owing to their exertions that the whole block is not now a mass ol ruins.

The Supreme Court was occupied during the whole of Monday in the heanug of v breach of promise case, in which a Miss Margaret Forrester sued Mr John Darling, engineer, for damages to the extent of £2000. Mr Macassey appeared for the plaintiff, and dilated in ruther eloquent teims on the wrongs of his client. Letters from the defendant were lead in evidence, and the jury after some deliberation returned & venUct ior the plaintiff, but assessing the damages at £2oJ

'The annual meeting of the Licencing Bench, under the Licensing Act ol 1873, was lieM at the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday. Mr Ba hgii c occupied the chair, with Messrs. Strode, Fulton, and Mas v- 1 Commissioners Tho public jnustered in unusual force, the appiuuc-hes : o the building being crowded during the entire day. The Chaimw'U m opening the Court stated that, it was the first licensing under (lie new .Act of last Session, and that most material alterations had taken pluee eince last jeur. In future the licensing Bench should consist ot a pern. anent Court, the Kesuk'iit Magistrate being chairman, ■with three Coininirsiom'rs appointed h\ the Government. That would b« a fiuieguurd from, — as it had been alleged, whether truthfully or

Jjptr—the Bench being packed, with a view to hwaying the decisions WtlfetLiwSslX Ifcf 7 ?@T'9ow Hes in the hun ia of two-thirls of the EeaidenUL_ojL.a_d.i3trigt to memorialise against the granting of an'v .license™, NoJioenfti, will, in futuraJbn grujiteil to &a unmarried. noaiT. .theW^^Mnkto ,that no house "cari -brf uWcirttie 'supervision jof » matron. r A> list of persons thrice-convicted of drunken iess will be o W'th5 I ].iMicei' kM Wtfi^fefPHo' HwSeea.-'Hii^Ta'ify lfcei»e«*i , suppfaiiik Twimr .ftp fcqHftrinW c d¥tfMicar"ds f \f6u\fr h&W< their li&twis: ?efGi<;sW\dLV c iipmc&i\oA. g The ffflWr^tfstrTcfcTbns'uTe of an 'equally srrfnggift Hit arß,',uffd t; nb / 'ddUbt' #ttt!b3itlftFfiieafi»bf 'materially decrease ■jng'iwi (jifjne r anft bPfeifces 1 artei'^'froin auor^derfy h'lUaW Sereril applica£ion?' > for ;> 'ir)i6 i Jfe r saii9' libeTWes 'Ssbre' 'fiivo'raDiyVe&ived.'whila oth¥rs;wlVicli Tiad" be§n Wdo <*f{e¥> tfi'4 f tiirfe allotted, 1 were ueldrdrer foi-'jcdnsideMfon. lO Tßo n cVurVi^aß occupied drrtirei d»J 1 bearing JtW* appßciVtions frotfi 1 Ga'roreHtt^fl, p ßJftSl(Vib, £«>rtdbellff, and ' the'sii^ilrbKand^in eacli'cifeWthe'appU'cWiesw-eiesubjeciedU v ieirchV inginVes|Lj!ition ds^tfdfafaciar; tftSdbmddatibh, tea. On 1 Wednesday, the B^UfcaHoitV froiu "' pfetsdh'S in ! fctte' City 'we're "ctfriside'r*!, ' wlien beverifl^re 1 ; WFuaed '6n T tKe*2ro'Un'dß t hut d;>ing> duly i£ba.r ifcade, they 1 were hot required.' ° " '-^ r ''< '# > • '■ ' n '<■ '• , „. t TnijrfolUMvjng amounts, we; a. repej^ed for our Holy Father ,on hkt , Good, Friday .— Wan^anui,' '£2s"j 'Turanu,ki f $; \\l3iineo Flat, £&*• Hokitika ri £l'3 Ba,s Hmo^ru, £10. , " ''' '' ~ ™* 1 ' JoH*rWitMHURBT, late eurgeon of the Isles of, the South, fas brought' up tor" sentence at'tiie Supreme Courtr, Christchurch, £h»rged withisregnyfas'ul bailee of medical comforts duriugj the voya^out* Counsel foi* rh<? prMttiWuYffUH& tinder tlfe 48* U aeotim o.f the ijaasengefs Apt, that nWdioal ccmiiprte were pluce Kundei; the,eliurgt! of^be medical office, to' tie tl.seql ut hid discretion; therefore, alth'Uglitt&ers might W waste? in the cask, -there- could be foo larceny. . Tiie judge reserved the" point;' :vnd allowed t lie— prisoner at liberty on his ewu recognisances in £500, and two sureties'of. £2so. " ,> BefoKe the SuMiies* of the Supreme pourt w is called on Tuesday, Mr Bin-ton," iis counsel for" Piitl-ick Jjong, charged with mur ler, said he had issued subpte'-jai U> several ivsii feVus 'i,u '(Jreeh Ireltiu I, and had endeavoured to oot'iuii fioin'Vhem inlortnatioii with regard' t->' crtaifa . mutters whit;h he ilesii-'ed to know 1 beF6re he wroulj'call them nsyritabi- ' *es. He found a great naniy we're unwilling to gi^e any' ihrorrnu ion, an"d some on .iccount of 6ettaii> intimidation whicii had' been brought to bear^p.m them lie a-Ke'd' the Ooiirt, as this was a matter bf life ami death, to let it be puGlicly underYtood that if uny'attenpt'wdre made "to intiini.late' peojglfe.^roin '^i'vinii informetibn,. or invest "o? threite^ ( " tli^in for ' giving" 'suoli iutonpation,. or (rom apioe,irin'g as' witnesses ut the triu'l, tiie. Court woij}d visit sf'ich «b'iiduct with' heavy punishmenf. ' Hi/ rfbnoiy however, in. reply", informed '&!(• Barton' Wat he'Could'not give ex|ii;es4on t6' *n extra-id'4icial opinion o& a mitter" which was not b'efoi^ 1 him.' Sli- Barto^J said lie iblt'it his duty to inak'e Vqnie anp'lic'a'i'im to the Court' to'have persons who refused td give'evicieWej, ou'nimiited for 'c^nt'emp'fj'aud woufd ask His'flo'uor ftf make known" through tho press thilt wirnesses should^nbt withhWd any evidence iTi'ey migVit be'abl A to" give in ihe'nJatt'er." '"" On Wednesday 15 persons were' removed from the Quarantine Island tq ,tli6 Barr icks at juayershain. The ram lining portion are progressing most, favourably, «ind -will be soon reatly tor rempvil, only 13 patients being now on the Islaud. ' n . Some considerable amusement was created in the Supreme CoUrfc on Tuesday, during the hearing of flealj r. Heenan, being- an actioa for £500 damages' for alleged slande'ri The case itself wad a dreary and uninteresting one; but it was enlivened by a sharp encounter between the opp jsinj counsel, Meisrs^M^Oas^y and Barton. The firstnamed {jeiitlemiin in cross examining' the plaintiff, inquired whether in the event of the ease being adrerse to him, he was in a position to meet the costs. 'This, Mr Barton field to be ah insinuation that the case had been undertaken by him on speculation, and while indignantly denviug tha' such was the ease, yet expressed his determination when returned to Parliament to bring the quesHou of legal costs before the douse, and sweep away the snobbery of the Bar. Mr Macassoy explained that 1 he had not alluded to \lr Burton in his remark ; bub hiuted that the Supreme Court was hardly the place to unfold his parliamentary programme.