DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 32, 25 November 1843, Page 2

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

County Court. jj The monthly sitting of this Court was h&f on the 21st and 22nd instant. j There were no cases of any importa^ 1 ! either civil or criminal, with the exception | of that of Thomas Manton, who was indic^J for stealing on the 21st October last mo De | in the shape of Bank-notes and Silver fr ol | Benjamin Davies. — Several witnesses ff^a examined in this case, whose evidence ff en j| to show that Manton and Davies had

drinking together at Hart's Hotel, where the latter exhibited some bank-notes and silver. After leaving Hart's Hotel, he was persuaded by Manton to accompany him to his residence, where he remained for the night. — It appeared that' Davies was somewhat affected with drink when Manton joined him, and pressed him to remain for the night. A voung half bast female- gave evidence to the general bad conduct of the parties at Manton's house. But there did not appear to be evidence sufficient to satisfy the jury that Jfanton had taken the money, although Davies himself swore to the effect of his having given his clothes and his money in charge of Manton before going to bed, and of having before leaving the house in the morning discovered that his money was lost. — As there were other parties in the house with Manton, it might be rather difficult to fix upon him as principal ; but there could be very little doubt that Davies' money had been lost in Manton's house. And we much regret these parties should have escaped through a discrepancy in the evidence. But though Manton has this time escaped, we hope the public authorities will still keep an eye upon himself and his female friend. There can be little doubt as to the character of the house kept by Manton. The evidence in this case is altogether too indecent for publication. Manton appeared little affected by the position which he occupied in Court. This person passed himself off some time ao-o as a gentleman at Wood's Hotel, where he was afterwards employed as a waiter. He has kept a public house at Epsom, he is now living as he can. He may be known by the extreme length of his hair, and his barberlike cut. — We believe he sported a pair of moustaches at one time, in accordance with the fashion of a certain class from tho neighbouring colonies, who are generally known by this useful appendage to their lips. The people in this country do not generally speaking admire moustaches — if gentlemen who wear them knew the estimation in which they are held, they would soon cut them off. Honest and industrious persons are supposed in this Colony to have no time to cultivate moustaches — they are too savage like. yS Can Mr. Shortland the Officer administering the Government convey or grant lands to Mr. Shortland the private individual ? — Thisfis a question on which we could not ourselves be expected to give a decided opinion, inasmuch as it is clearly a point of law, and we put the question in the hope that some of our legal friends will be kind enough to throw some light upon the matter. It is in itself rather important, seeing that it is quite possible that a third party may be affected by it, Indeed, we have been informed that some of the allotment* purchased by Mr. Shortland at the Government sale of Jany. 24tb, and for which Mr. Shortland, the Officer administering the Government, issued Grants to Mr. Shortland, the private individual, on the 10th of May, have been .resold to Mrs. Hobson, the widow of the late Governor. We gay nothing of this transaction as affecting Mr. Shortland in his capacity of Governor, there are doubtless others who will enquire into the merits of the case in that respect; and who will certainly give an opinion as to the propriety of Mr. Shortland's conduct as an official man. We say nothing about the great evil of permitting the head of the Government thus to bestow upon himself by deed of Grant, or purchase the lands belonging to her Majesty, under whom, and for whose benefit he acts. It may be possible that Mr. Shortland has taken no advantage of bis situation in the purchase of these lands, but it may yet become a matter of enquiry how far a Governor i> justified in earryrag on the business of a land-jobber while he is entrusted with the Vice Regal authority. This is a matter between Lord Stanley and Mr. Shortland, the other is a mere question of law, and we expect that some one of our legal friends will enlighten the public upon it. We are not aware that there are any precedents, so that the matter mast be "decided merely upon general principles. We think ourselves, that a man cannot convey to himself, but we are no conveyancer. ■ The Post Office. — Ma. Connel versus Mr. Churton. — We perceive in one of our contemporaries a letter from Mr. Connel, the late Post Master General, in answer to the charge made by the Rev. Mr. Churton some time ago against his department. The object of Mr. Connel's letter is not by any means to clear the Post Office from the suspicions thrown upon its purity by several recent publications in the papers* but more to prove the inaccuracy of Mr, Churton's statements. But with this the public ha7e nothing whatever to do* It matters little to us if Mr. Churton state that none of his letters have reached his friends at Home, and if Mr. Connel assert that " ten" have been received. We require this Government to have a regular investigation into the conduct of every person connected with the Post Office, during the time the letters have been said to iave been missing. The public care nothing about any discrepancies 'in Mr. Churton's general statement. They are quite certain that no person of Mr, Churton's character would prefer so serious a charge without some grounds for so doing, Mr. Connel may throw a certain amount of discredit upon the state* meats of Mr. Churton, but we want him to shew that no fault attaches to himself as the head of the Post Office. Indeed, we suspect he knows very little about its affairs during the period in question. How could he ? he was engaged as Clerk to Mr. Shortland, and leit his own department to others. New Appointments.— Of all patrons Mr. Shortland is without doubt the most capricious and changeBole we have ever heard of. He appears to take peculiar pleasure in exhibiting his favorites in every Possible situation and place. In selecting persons to fill vacant places, fitness for the particular situation >s no requisite ; if a man is a favorite he is fit for any *]ling. Sheriff, Clerk of the Bench, or Post Master.. Within the last three or four months a Mr. Marshall has been appointed to a situation at New Plymouth, i Cjerk of the Peace at Auckland, and Sheriff at Nelson. ?h< Fleury la the same time hag been Post Master at

Kororarika, at Auckland, and he has the other day been sent to Taranaki. Another person, a Mr. Dunn, Clerk of the Peace at the Bay, was ordered to Auckland to proceed in some capacity to Taranaki, but when he arrived here, Mr. Shortland forgot the whole affair, and Dun is thrown upon the shelf. The other day a brother-in-law of Mr. Connel was dispatched to the Bay as Post Master, and we hear he has been instantly recalled. What is Mr. Hogg about ? Does he allow the department over which he presides, to be thus tampered with by Mr. Shortland ? or, what is the cause of the recall of Mr. Shortlands friend ? We should not expect that he would allow himself to be made a tool of by any man. We are mistaken if he will submit to have the Post Office made a convenience for Mr. Shortlands friends. How can Mr. Shortland now at the eleventh hour, forestall the Governor by making so many new appointments, while it is so notorious that bis officers are not able to get their overdue salaries- Let him go a-head, the day of reckoning is at hand. Pig Nuisance. — We hear frequent complaints from parties living at the outskirts of the town, of the extreme officiousness of the Traps in seizing and impounding goats, tho' doing no injury whatever. Perhaps thia may be warranted under the Trespass Ordinance, but if so, we could wish to see that Ordinance impartially and uniformly acted upon, which certainly would prevent any one supposing himself improperly or harshly treated by the act referred to, being put in force against him, when he may suppose that there \t no occasion for so doing. These remarks have forced themselves upon us in consequence of seeing large numbers (from ten to fifteen) of pigs constantly roaming about in the vicinity of the Wesleyan Chapel, quite unmolested, and as the Ordinance imposes a fine of ss; for each, it is certainly much to be wondered at, that the constables should overlook such a rich prize in these hard times. Perhaps they belong to the traps themselves : 'perhaps they compound for the fines. Certain it is, that they are not doing their duty. ■ Ellis.— -We hear that the case against Ellis, late Captain of the Lunar, at present confined in jail on a charge of piracy and manslaughter, is likely to full to the ground in consequence of the principal witness against him having absconded. We hope that ample recognizances have been taken from' him to appear against the prisoner at the trial. If not, the authorities must be highly censurable in omitting a part of their duty so highly necessary in all cases, but particularly in one so aggrivated as the present ; nor is the atrocity of the crime the only reason why this witness should have been bound to the usual penalties ; but he appears moreover to have been an accomplice and participator in the crimes himself, and ought therefore to have been looked upon with the greater care and suspicion. Another reason still, the accused is known to be in possession of ample funds* and has therefore the means of buying off the evidence against him. If the present case faih in proof for want of the witness referred to, it will only be another instance of the mass already existing of the utter incapacity and embicility of the present officers of Government. There appears to be a fatality attending every thing they attempt? nothing succeeds in their hands. In the present case we thought they would have been a little more circumspect. Thb Passengers per Mandarik. — The gentlemen \ assengerß per Mandarin appear to be of the right kind, and determined to judge of the country by the sight of their own eyes. We understand that almost immediately upon their arrival a party of them proceeded to Munakau and Papaltura. They were so delighted with these districts that they determined upon seeing, more of the country, and crossed over to the Waikato district. This is just what every emigrant ought to do upon his arrival, and we are perfectly satisfied that any person who takes the trouble of visiting the various districts of New Zealand, however well pleased he may be with many of them, must still give the preference to Auckland and the Thames. We only require people to examine and to judge for themselves. This settlement needs no puffing. Some of these gentlemen intend visiting Port Nicholson and Nelson ; this is quite right, they ought to see as much as possible of the country before fixing upon any locality, though we are persuaded they will in the end give the preference to this place. Flour Mill- — We would recommend our country settlers to have a look at the beautiful hand mill which has been imported by Messrs. Gibson and Mitchell; a few such mills would render the settlers almost independent of wind or water mills. It is the most perfect thing of the kind we nave ever seen.