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Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 38, 3 August 1870, Page 4

Most of out readers are aware that a cans) has been, or is in the course of being, ad justed, which for many months past ha created alarming apprehension among al the better-disposed people in Cromwell A cloud has been seen over the dwellin' of a respected citizen : it has been darken ing and becoming more portentous tliroug! the year, and no one could see where o when it would lift, or whether it wouli lift at all. We allude to the well-know cause of Regina v. Whetter ; or, strippe of its technical husk and presented to tkn plain reader in an unprofessional shape, ii is a cause in which Mr Goodoer was plaiS tiff and Mr Whetter defendant. Near! a year ago it came before the Eesidei Magistrate as Goo'dger v. Whetter, and tl plaintiff was nonsuited. It originated i a disputed claim to the mayoral office, an the merits and demerits the points 5 dispute on both sides are sufficiently we known to the whole community. It nev( came to a final settlement in the Suprem Court ,j but it has had the effect of remoi ing from our midst, to satisfy the greed ( lawyers, a sum of money that could be i spared, and which is all loss. During th progress of the action, much animosity an ill-feeling sprang up; sentiments of kind ness and good fellowship were interrupted and a few days ago the cause culminate! in the shape of a bill of law costs : it place! a wolf at the door of an honest family, anj the wonder was, where the courage shouli come from to muzzle it and render it harnl less. A sheriff’s officer came to Cromwel demanding the immediate payment of j bill of costs amounting to over £9O. Our Mayor-elect and another good citizen made an appeal to the juat-mindednesa of the town, and a sum approaching to .£BO wag soon raised to meet the emergency—and raised, too, in a way as honourable ana gratifying to the givers as to the receiver.' A danger was thus averted from an old

8 “ Asfdent' who had lotig been brokeilwthe 10 pieel of agonising suspense; A deed'of l | if-ecution in a front puts a terrible . Invin upon' a circle of friends ; it often las the effect that a pistol-shot has among (i * § flock of pigeons. Tried by this test,-Mr 1 miiErfEß has no cause to be ashamed of V;,|is friends. Instead of flying from the '* |lireatened they came all the nearer ’ la the danger 'bec&tqe the'more imminent. i’lie year of grace 1870 mil long contain a hj ed-letter day to his family. -Some £BO tills remain to .be paid, but it is as good Q ’ is s»|°M already: a' digging population nay awvays be trusted when they see an ild ff'end with his back to the wall. Mr >r Whktter’s defeat, under vigorous generalihip, is as good as a victory ; and all the pins on the other side will ! be losses in 10 ;he'long-run. “ Have the lawyers driven IWhettee to perdition i" was asked the ? Bother day, “No," was the reply; “but they had t the door open." He can hardljn'L expect to come out of the ordeal with dpi' n lass, but the loss Will be more profitabte 1 v to the defendant than the gain to the* 3 ' plaintiff. What was latent goodwill before, ■ f r evea ! efl i Q time of deepest need; - idoing credit to our common manhood. His 1 Ifriends held a conductor over Mr Whetv Itbr’s head, and brought all the boltgp&ofetf 0 jthe overcharged storm-cloud harmJifcNWf e .t Ms feet, - • iia & On the general question of law as aUSttfea C ing society around us, we conclude by ask--0 ling, Are we not overdone with it- alto- ’’ gether 1 We have it out of all proportion 0 to the interests involved and to the needs of the community. Five pounds are thrown ® i away in law to secure five shillings, a right » to which is doubtful when we get it. ! Twt>l * thirds of the cases' that pass through the 9 initial steps are so frivolousj that, at the * request of the presiding Magistrate, they ® are settled outside. To allow such cases 9 a public hearing would be a positive af--3 front to the dignity of the office. “Law ’i ( as little as you can," was a maxim thal >• guided oiii forefathers three hundred.yeStii Y ago. But the appetite for this j luxury is a growing evil A boy in his i* father’s gum boots is a sin against the law of domestic proportion ; but the overtopping litigation in this district is an offence against that law of infinitely greater consequence. If all the sums squandered in senseless appeals to law could be entered to the credit of our hospitals, they might be maintained in princely profusion. Those of; who become hasty litigants ought to be If.; held as enemies to the commonwealth—traitors to the tranquillity of social life; t for, as they have no birthright of 'their i*p own to lose, they sell their o a mess of pottage. r ■is i j The first meeting of our newly-consti-j I tuted Town Council is to take place to-morrow l|| evening. ; 3'j The quantities of gold conveyed tp Oy<le I' by the Escort on Sunday last wore as j I From Queenstown, lOSOozs 7dwts ; ,i| 8450zs Cdwts ; Cromwell, 9900zs : total, 1-r ISdwts. ■ . . . A correspondent at Queenstown informs 1 us that the municipal elections there resulted in i| the return of Mr Manders for take Ward, and f t Mr James Bridge for South Ward. Th« bpposy Mg candidate for the representation «f) y Ward was Mr M‘Guinness, and for South Ward : [j Mr D. Powell. As stated In last week’s issue,' y Mr Malaghan was returned unopposed for North! I Ward. 100 hj I Our latest advices from Bendigo OTataJ ') that the Cromwell Company were tlmj -i and that the result of their last crushing Slf ■i pected to be very satisfactory. if | The annual meeting of the Cromwell). j Jockey Club is to bo held in the Town-hsg lead the evening of Thursday, the 11th inst. ,- r A-i ; The well-known mesmerist and antHsp£‘ J ritualist, Dr Carr, is announced to appear a? 1 Kidd’s Hall to-night and to-morrow night. Dr Carr’s entertainment has been spoken of in high terms by the Press in every town he' has visited' up to the present time, and we have therefore), no hesitation in predicting a full house on both! nights of his appearance in Cromwell The Doctor is announced to appear at Arroiykftftij pa 1 Friday and Saturday, and at QueeristoWhi pa* Monday and Tuesday. uriSj The rate of postage on letters to j all parts of New Zealand is now fixed at twopence, for every half ounce. -The fee hitherto charged on letCS sent to other Provinces was thr ee . pence per half ounce. Subjoined is a copyjofc«,i telegram received by Mr Ballard, the here, from, the chief pf the department in Dunf£ edin“ August J, 1870. From .this date thi J postage on letters for any office in the Colon] 1 will be twopence per half ounce; and for offioei' where posted, one penny per half ounce. Arch 1 Bark, Chief Postmaster.” We are also infomet • that newspapers addressed to the various hospi I tals and public libraries throughout the Colon] ’ are henceforth to be transmitted Fori r this privilege the public are indebted to tea t of Mr Haughton, the member for Hamp^gn, ,891 The Lancashire Bell-ringers, assisibc \ Mr Daniels, the well-known baritone, and fc H. Burton, negro delineator, gave three per, r \ Wnanccs at Kidd’s Hall last week, and on eacl ■ ' Won there was a tolerably good attertUkacs 1 Wquisjte musio of the bells was hatched*l* ’• evident manifestations of surprise an|ltal^ I by all who were present; and we lipiS * J ly add that Mr Daniels' singing elicital •M applause. The company left for Arrow \d Queenstown on Sunday. r<

‘ Our Nevis correspondent, writhg on the 26th ulfc., says:—Our European pojulation is decreasing very fast; but it is not to be imputed’to the falling-ofF in the quantity ,f gold being got, ns most of the miners are doirg very well, y At. this season of the year, some prefer makihg a holiday, and visiting their frioals in Dunedin and else,whore, while, : for others* the dredges on the Molyneux have attractions.— Trade looks brisk i' all the storekeepers are packing up goods to replenish their stocks, and the whole of the claims are being steadily worked. —Some movement has been made towards establishing a public library on the Nevis, but it will no doubt-he postponed until the winter is past.—Some time ago, there was a talk of erecting a building for the accommodation of Nr Drake, or any other clergyman, in which service might be held ; but the idea seems to have growncold with the wervthartfcnt any rate, lilhaye hepd no mention ohthdjsnbject lately, A *