POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 624, 11 January 1872, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

THIS DAY. Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., E;M

DEUNKENNESS.

One person was punished in tho usual manner for this offence, besides getting some wholesome advice from his Worship.

ASSAULT

Michael Burke was brought up on warrant, charged by his wife, Elizabeth Burke, with assaulting her. Ordered to find two sureties for £25 each to keep the peace for three months, he himself oeing bound over in the sum of £50.

STEAY GOATS. J Penalgin, P Haslem, Anne McDermott, and George Wadman were each fined 10s and costs for allowing goats to stray in the public thoroughfares.

BEEACH OF MUNICIPAL COBPOEATION ACT.

William Blewden pleaded not guilty to a charge of not keeping sufficient light burning at an excavation in Victoria street. He said he had employed a man to keep the lights burning, but the night in question was very stormy, and the lights appeared to have gone out. His Worship said that the contractor himself was responsible and could not depute the custody of the lights to ; another. If any one's neck were broken by falling into _ the hole it would bo poor consolation to his friends to be told that a servant had been appointed to look after the proper protection. His Worship then read the clause of the Act compelling people to light all excavations made by them in the streets ; and defendant then pleaded guilty. To another charge of the same kind, he also pleaded guilty. From the testimony of the police, it appeared that the lights were merely candles and not calculated to burn much after daylight. His Worship thought that m the majority of cases, people offending against the law, in cases of this kind, ought to be warned by the police, for prevention was better than cure. Mr Inspector Broham said that many similar cases had been brought before the Court, and duly reported in the newspapers, but no notice was taken. The Bench, therefore, fined defendant 20s for the first offence and 40s for the second. BEEACH OF LICENSING ACT. Robert Heyward, landlord of the Auckland Hotel, was charged with selling liquor on Sunday, the 7th instant, to a person not being a lodger or a bona fide traveller.

His Worship made some remarks as to tho inefficiency of the Licensing Act Amendment Act, which professed to amend the 38th clause, but leaving it rather dubious whether it was compulsory to either close or open public houses on tho Sunday. It would have been far better struck out, so that houses might have been kept open, and the police have had proper surveillance: Mr Joy for defendant pleaded guilty, but urged that the drink had been supplied by a servant in defendant's absence and against his orders, and at the urgent solicitation of one who was a regular customer. The Polico gavo tho house a good character, and in consideration of all tho circumstances, his Worship fined defendant in the mitigated penalty of £5 and costs.