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Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 317, 14 January 1871, Page 2

A case decided to-day in the Police Court is .deserving of the notice of the masters of vessels, tho authorities of the Customs, and the public generally. A seaman was charged with assaulting the master of the Dancing Wave at Levuka in the Fijis. Two questions of importance were raised, and the correct solution of them should be made distinctly known. The less important of them is, what constitutes an assault on a person in authority ? The seaman in this case, who is a man of violent character, seized a knife and made use of violent threats. The master aided by the mate and owner wrested the knife from the man, when he rushed to the galley to procure another. The master followed and endeavoured to prevent his obtaining a sheath knife, and in the struggle the master was thrown and seriously injured. Tiie question arose, was this an assault ? A master of a vessel being in the position of a Justice of the Pence and a police-constable was resisted and injured when in the execution of his duty ; and the case was dismissed with costs. The second question was of a much more important ehara ter. It appears to 'be the usage of the port to not look on a voyage to Fiji as a foreign voyage, and the Customs officers do not require the keeping of an "official log" in such a voyage. The Imperial Act i- explicit on the point, and expressly includes as foreign all voyaging to ports other than those on the coasts of the United Kingdom, which, as applied to New Zealand certainly seems o mean to all ports other than those in New Zealand waters. Although this did not seem to be the point on which the decision of the Bench turned, it was evident that the objection r._i ed was regarded as fatal. And seeing the enormous interest that might n certain circumstances be affected by an outhoritive decision on the value of this port usage, in evident opposition to the explicit terms of the Merchant Shipping Act, we would draw the attention of the Customs' officers aud the masters of vessels, trading to the Islands, to its great importance. The two learned counsel advocated their respective views wifc;i great ability, but tbe public interest demands that the actual value of port usage should be known, and if valueless, that it should immediately be brought into harmony with the terms of the statute. The celebrated Bell Ringers may be expected by the first steamer from Tauranga. The steamer Golden Crown will commence running to the Thames on Tuesday next. The Galatea will be open to visitors tomorrow (Sunday). The steamers Enterprise Nos. 1 and 2, and Lalla Kookh will ply during tho day. Special Notice.—R. Hobbs cousidei-3 it necessary-to inform the public of his reasons for withdrawing his advertisements from the daily papers, lie is so thoroughly disgusted with the lengths some parties have gone to in the advertisement line, that he dors not intend to advertise after this notice, until an [.Iteration fakes place. As to tho system of advertising goods at " catching," or very low prices, R. 11. would simply remark, that it is no test of valao, as the quality must be seen to test the value.. Should K. 11. at anytime advertise any special line, of which he may have bought a large quantity, the public may rely that the quality is good; and he will not be ashamed to forward patterns to any part of the province, post free ; and buyers may depend on getting the goods according lopattern. E. IT. has yet to find that any man in Auckland can buy or sell cheaper than he can, notwithstanding all the absurd and very questionable pretensions of some houses.—R. Hobi.3, Wholesale and Retail Draper, Queen and Wakefield-streets. —[Anvr.]