DUNEDIN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 704, 15 October 1875, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

—o—(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.) Hunter, of Shag Valley, once a carter on the roads, and who sometime since took it into his head, in endeavoring to eject some Chinese from off his land, set fire to the Chinamens’ hut whilst they were inside was tried in the Supreme Court and found guilty—the Jury recommended him to mercy. Evidence was tendered by Messrs D Baxter and Mackerras, which induced the Judge to take a very lenient view of the case and sentenced him to six months’ hard labor, commenting on the cowardly act, said it was evident that he would, not act the.same towards Europeans, therefore it should act as a caution, Chinese as well as other foreigners must bo protected, and those who take the law into their own hands wquld find the law slip in and severely punish them, . The Coroner’s jury which sat on the convict Cyrus Haley, after hearing consider.-• ble evidence, which disclosed that he was a most dangerous and vindictive man, also, that the Warder called on him to stand several times, and by the Prison regulations had no alternative hut to fire on him. The first time he firedat his legs, bnt missed he again fired and missed; the third time at a distance of some sixty yards, he again fired, which took effect. The verdict was “ justifiable homicide." Romo mandling sympathy has been evinced in the matter, but there can ho no doubt if there ever was a case where extreme measures wore necessary, this was one, and as the Times in a sub-leader justly remarks—“ Of what use is it to arm the Warders with revolving rifles, if they are not' to be used in snch cases." There has keen a meeting of the unemployed, and the old thread-bare arguments, used. The celebrated Mr Pavelitch, of Marine Store and Piggery notoriety came to the‘fore, causing some merriment when ho said some of the immigrants were a rotten lot—he had polite invitations to retire. Notwithstanding the complaints of the un-

.employed, some 750 immigrants have arrived during- tho past fortnight, of these only about one hundred aro remaining in the several barracks—this appears to be a slight refutation of the facts put forward by the Leaders of the unemployed movement. A meeting was held at the Provincial hatel to elect a Committee to arrange for the Macandrow banquet—there can be no doubt but that it will bo a great success in itself, and as a political demonstration, the ventilation of tho Abolition Bill. has had tho effect of causing many, who at first madly rushed with tho idea that abolition was the panacea for all the ills we suffered under Provincialism, to open their eyes a little, and they begin dimly to see that in endeavoring to avoid the ills we have, that it is rather a dangerous experiment to fly to those we know not of. This feeling gaining ground makes it uncomfortable for some of the Members, who will find at tho next election a deaf ear turned to their gentle wooing, and in their little game of abolishing, they have virtually abolished themselves. It is wonderful how very nios and feasible anything looks from one’s own point of view, this is illustrated by the action of tho Acclimitazation Society, which recommends a Gun Tax, and one of tho members facetiously remarked that the Government would jump at the chance of put- - ring on additional taxation ; this 'would no doubt suit the ideas of a few crochefy people, but what a nice idea, if a man wishes to shoot a few rabbits to have to pay a License of one pound. This looks like getting tho thin end of the wedge in. The next move will be the enacting of arbitrary and iniqitous Game Laws under the pica of acolimitization. Tho Grand Bubble has burst—Herboit v. the Commissioner and Members of the Waste Lands Board—has resulted in a dissolution of the Injunction, the plaintiff to pay all Costs. This should satisfy the pastoral gentlemen, that the Law is a dangerous implement to deal with. Thanks to Messrs Reid ami Bastings for putting a bold front on and checkmating the folks who are so ready to threaten the Supreme Court when they cannot get all they want, and experience goes to show that they have very mo lest ideas. There is a general complaint of trade being still dull and money scarce. Many large and handsome (buildings are being erected, the most prominent is that of Messrs Sargood.