Extracts.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 51, 25 July 1844, Page 4

Extracts.

A TEXIAN JUDGE AND JURY. And when the forms of law happen to Hie gone through, what is the manner, and W?hat the result ? We will abridge a description of a scene witnessed in Boston—that is to say, in Texian Boston. Arrived the court-house, ’the party found the Judge seated on a chair which he was item where he was, while on each side of ifiim were half a dozen jury-men similarly practising on square blocks; Each (judge l&duded) had his cigar in his mouth, and a flask of liquor, to which they occasionally appealed, was before them. The Attorney who was addressing the court was s3so smoking so were the plaintiff Sod defendant—so, too, were the witnesses and the public in general. So much for the court, now for the case. The defendant was the post master and general merchant of the country, and he on his trial for murder. A man who had purchased goods from him, had received from him a counterfeit fifty dollar note ; with which, on its being refused elsewhere, he went back and sought to change it for , a good one. This was refused, the young sman declared he had been swindled, and the honest merchant killed him on the spot by flinging at him a nine-pound iron weight. The argument now was, that this was accidental, and designed only to ■ frighten away a turbulent customer; but not a word was said about the note, though every body knew that the defendant had wilfully defrauded the deceased, and that it wa° part of bis trade to pass of} forged notes upon the, inexperienced. At last, however, when the proceedings were far advanced, one of the jury-men approached the defendant, and addressed him in a low voice that no word escaped, but his parting words were audible, “ all’s right!” His example was followed by another jury-man; and his again by a third; and, in short, all the. jury in succession stepped up “ to have a little private con versation with the prisoner.” At length, the? judge himself, with an independence and a manly scorn of concealment that put the whispering jurymen to shame—the judge left his seat went up to the prisoner, aud said openly—“ Any good saddles, Fielding ? mine looks rather shabby !” “ Yes. by jingo, a fine one, bound with blue cloth and silver nails, Philadelphia made, prime cost sixty dollars.” “ That will do!” answered the judge as he walked back to his seat. Need we proceed? is not the tale already finished? Who could fail to foresee an acquittal—that is, a verdict of manslaughter—the prisoner being humanely considered by the judge “ sufficiently punished by the affliction which such an accident must produce to a generous mind !” The court of criminal law in Texian Boston broke up with three

cheers, and the judge and jury quitted the scene to enjoy a “ treat,” as agreed upon, at the cost of the acquitted ! That night, the merchant’s dwelling was burnt _down, he himself killed, and the judge wounded in the midst of his carousal. This was a work of revenge—the agent was the father of the young man, whose murder has been the subject of this horrible mock trial.— Ainsworth's Magazine, abridged from Capt. Marrgatih - Narrative of the Travels and Adventures of M. Violet in West earn Texas, §*c. The Out Pensioners. —There are at present 95.000 pensioners on the military pension list, and from 20,000 to 30,000 vary in ages from forty, forty-five, and fifty years* and are able in body and health to form veteran battalions in case of necessity. According to the bill passed last session, the Duke of Wellington has had the kingdom divided into forty pension districts, under the superintendence of experienced officers. The number of pensioners under the direction of a captain has been fixed at from 700 to 1000, and under lieutenants from 500 to 600 men, who will receive their pensions from these officers, the same as from the paymaster of a regiment, and will always be ready to be called out into active service when required by the cummanding officer of the district. The organization of theke pensioners has been confided to Major Tulloch of the War-office, who has appointed staff-officers from the half-pay list to inspect them. By these arrangements Government will have at their disposal, throughout the United Kingdom, an efficient army of reserve of 20,000 men, who will cost the country nothing beyond their pensions until called out. The following are the districts in Ireland at present under the inspection of Major Tulloch and which are organized—viz., Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Belfast, Armagh, Waterford, Londonderry, Enniskillen, Fermoy, Tralee, and Clonmel. The pensioners are to be provided with a blue frock coat, with scarlet cuff's and collar, dark grey trousers, with a scarlet seam down the sides, and foraging cap, — Times.

\ Queer Calculation. —Some singular genius has perpetrated the following calculations, which we think will do :—“ I have been married 32 years, during which time I have received from the hands of my wife three cups of coffee each day, two in the morning andone at night, making about 35,040 cups of half a pint each, or nearly 70 barrels of 30gallons each, weighing 17, 5201 b., or nearly nine tons weight. Yet from that period 1 have scarcely varied myself in . weight from 160 lb. It will, therefore, be seen that I have drunk in coffee alone 218 times my owrr weight. I am not much of a meat eater, yet £ presume I have consumed a bout eight ounces a day, which makes 5,8061 b., or about ten oxen. Of flour I have consumed, in the 32 years, about 50 barrels. For 20 years of this time, up to 1831, I have drunk two wine glasses of brandy each day, making 900 quarts. The Port wine, Madeira, whiskey, punch, &c„ T am not able to count, but they are not large. In Cham--pagne I was extremely moderate, as I find from my bills that I have paid for 53 baskets in the last 13 years, which is about one bottle a week, and this is not all by me. When we take into the account all the vegetables in addition, such as potatoes, peas, asparagus, strawberries, cherries, apples, pears, peaches, raisins, &c., the amount consumed by au individual is most enormous. Now, my body has been renewed more than four times in 32 years ; and taking it for granted that the water, of which I have drunk much acts merely as diluent, yet, ail taken together, I conclude that I have consumed in 32 years about the weight of 1,100 meu of 1601 b. each.” —Paris paper . Jews have been hitherto forbidden to enter Norway. The interdiction has been suspended in favour of such Israelite naturalists as may wish to attend the scientific congress to be held at Christina during the next summer. The supplies of flour from Canada, landed at Liverpol during the past week, were to the amount of 13,750parrels. A nobleman one day visited a lawyer at his offie, in which at the same time there was a blazing fire, which led him to exclaim, “ Mr, — : — your office is as hot as an oven.*' •* So it should be, my Lord,” said the lawyer, “ as it is here I make my bread.”