THE Evening Star. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1927, 9 July 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1869.

The disclosures that are made from time to time in the Resident Magistrate’s Court of the under-current of vice that runs through the City are suggestive of the gravest reflections. Perhaps fewcommunities are less infested with vagrants than Dunedin. Thanks to our efficient and respectable police force, those who have no visible means of support are so closely watched that they find residence in the City too insecure to follow with success their pi’edatory callings. But we are not free from their presence, and, strange to say, the difficulty of proving the charges brought against

them is aggravated by the sometimes unwilling testimony borne in their favor by tradesmen who have had casual transactions with them. This was strongly illustrated in a case brought before the Resident Magistrate yesterday. A man who, from the evidence adduced, had apparently once been in a respectable position, had gradually sunk from one stage of degradation to another, until he had at length become a bully in a brothel, and lived upon the follies and vices of the imprudent. No clearer case could have been made out by the Police. His practice was to go out at night with a basket of trotters. But he did not go alone ; he was always accompanied by a mate, who took no part whatever in the trading part of the concern. His was a very different office. His department was to hook the prey that the other decoyed. The two went out together ; traversed the streets, surveyed the bars of publichouses, or went into the vestibule of the Theatre, Their object was to fix upon some drunken or hall-drunken man: to get into conversation with him ; to ensnare him with some abandoned woman, and then by stratagem or force, to fleece him. Several policemen bore unmistakeable testimony as to the calling of the men. At different times they had been obliged to interpose to prevent robbery. Only a week ago, a man from the country had been jostled, and the hand of one of the partners had been in his pocket, which luckily contained only a copy of a newspaper. Time after time, they had been expelled from the vestibule of the Theatre as nuisances. The accused, it was said, never drank, but always kept himself cool and collected, so that he was at all times able to take advantage of those whose brains were not so clear and who were not suspecting any attempt at robbery or fraud. Perhaps a more dangerous vagabond could not be at large. When before the Magistrate, the cunning with which he examined the constables showed conspicuously that he was well acquainted with the character of the charge brought against him, and the degree and nature of the proof required to secure conviction. He put questions with the express purpose of damaging the position of the arresting officer, who nevertheless was not to be deterred from pressing the charge by the cleverness of the trickster. He was, however, nearly caught in his own trap ; for after laboring hard to prove that he made a handsome livelihood by his callin", he was compelled to acknowledge, in r’eply to the Magistrate, that botlr he and his mate had applied for and obtained relief from the Benevolent Institution, only a week ago, under the plea of absolute destitution. Such a man is not only a dangerous nuisance, but a tax upon Society. The evidence that was dragged out of respectable tradesmen so far confirmed his statement as to render it plain that at any rate there was a coloring for the account he gave of obtaining a living by the sale of saveloys and trotters. Almost of necessity the charge fell through ; but it must have been the conviction of every one present that strict justice would have been done, although the law might have condemned it, had he been committed. How many robberies such a man may have been guilty of, it is hard to say. Many who have suffered by him have borne their losses in silence, through the impossibility of proving them or through shame at the exposure to which proclaiming them would have led. No doubt the police could have disclosed many facts that have come within their knowledge that would have borne strongly against the accused, but which were inadmissible as evidence in that particular case. In this statement we are not judging harshly. Few who are in respectable positions have the opportunity of learning much about the substratum of vice and misery that is to be found more or less developed in every civilised community; and when, with characteristic cunning, one from that class appears to be bent on following an honest calling, they are apt to feel a sort of sympathy with him. It is hard to dispel this feeling, but for the health of society it should be set aside where not deserved. Only a few years ago evidence was given before a Committee of the Legislative Assembly in Victoria, showing that the suspected and dangerous classes in Melbourne, numbered four thousand, or about one in twenty-five. And this it must be remembered, was a very much larger proportion, when it is considered that of the 100,000 or 120,000 inhabitants of that city, the principal part are children, while the dangerous classes are generally adults. In England and Wales some six years ago, it appeared from judicial statistics, that 135,000 people were known to live by plundering other people. Dr Hearn says : —“ It is “ estimated, and the calculation is prob- “ ably beneath the truth, that the an- “ nual cost of this criminal population, u whether it be maintained in prison,

“ or by the exercise of its ordinary pur- “ suits, cannot be less than ten niil- “ Hons sterling.” The special case which led to these remarks, is a cropping out of this criminal leaven. It is evidence of its existence here. It shews the necessity for firmness and watchfulness, lest the evil should fester and spread. The criminal class is a source of poverty. Its members are not merely unproductive, they are destructive. Their proper guardians are the Police. Their home ought to be the prison, or the convict depot. I f is just possible, that by judicious prison discipline, the habits of some might be reclaimed, but no greater blessing could be conferred upon themselves and society, than to place them in circumstances where there is no temptation to crime, and where, to a certain extent, their labor might be rendered productive.

Supreme Court.—The sitting of the Court in Banco, which Avas to have been held to-day, was adjourned until Wednesday, as a mark to respect to the late Mr Haggitb. Shipping. —Our shipping column of to-day presents the unusual appearance of no arrivals, no departures. It reminds us of the entry in the log of the old guard ship at Portsmouth :

“ Wind at South, or thereabout, ( Nothing come in, and nothing gone out.”

The Postmaster-Generalship. —lt appears that this office has not yet been filled up. It was pressed on Mr Studholm, a Canterbury member, but declined by him. The name of Mr Cargill as still mentioned as the likely occupant of the office. The Ida Yalley Q. M. Co.—The plant and machinery of this company was offered for sale by auction, at the rooms of Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. to-day, and was purchased by Mr W. H. Cutten for the sum of LBOO.

The Proposed Institute.—We publish in another column the remainder of the synopsis of the New Zealand Institute Act, 1867. It should be read in connection with Mr Charles Smith’s letter, that appeared in the Evening Star of Tuesday.

Acclimatisation. —By the Alhambra, the Acclimatisation Society have received ten young fallow deer, which it is intended to distribute as early as possible. The deer were imported from Tasmania to Canterbury by a gentleman, resident in the latter province, Avith a view to the Acclimatisation Society there purchasing them. The local society being unable to purchase them, they were offered to the Otago Society, aud at once bought by them.

Obituary. —Captain Johnston, late of the Golden Age, who, for a few days, was seriously ill. died early this morning. He was greatly respected by all who knew him To day, almost universally, the flags on hoard the shipping in the Bay, and at Port Chalmers, as well as on many stores, were hoisted halfmast hiidi, in token of respect to his memory. We have also to chronicle the death of Mr D’Arcy Haggitt senior, solicitor, who expired at his residence, Regent Road, this morning. His death Avas a very sudden one iud ed. Up to 1 .st evening, avc believe, he enjoyed very good health, and retired to rest last night without complaining of being unwell. He was discovered at an early hour this morning to be dead. It said that heart disease was the cause of death.

The Colonial Treasurer. —We have it on very good authority that on account of his business engagements in Auckland, Mr Vogel will resign his office as Colonial Treasurer immediately after the close of the session. It Avould appear that it was Mr Vogel’s intention from the first to bold the office temporarily ; for the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times—who is Avell infnrmed on these subjo ts —writing on the 28th ult. said, “ Mr Vogel has assured his friends that he will be unable to continue his office beyond a we< k or so after the session, and t e difficulty to find a successor is great. lam told that the difficulty of nominating his successor is the point Avhich is keeping at least one iuflutial member from taking a ministerial seat.” The difficulties in the way of Mr Fox constructing a Mini dry are not so much of priu ciple or personnel, as of the personal convenience of members.

Extract of Meat. —The manufacture of the essence of meat has been started at Wanganui, in the province of Wellington. A Northern contemporary says It is contained in a small compass, is in the form of a brown paste, aud a spoonful qf it makq.s excellent brown soup, strengthening, but yet requiring a few vegetables tp giye greaterv sweetness and flavour. The medical men Wanganui speak very highly of this essejjP Dr Gibson writes : It is a great boon binvalids, and a u eful adjunct to the kitchen. Dr ®arlc says :—lt is one of the most valuable articles of nutriment we-have. Australasian Wool.—-The folloAving is from the Times .-—The imports of wool from the Australasian colonies have made a further stride in 1869, although the year is still young. Thus the receipts of Australasian wool in the two months ending February 28th, this year, was 18,955,5091b, as compared with 1,045,4751b in the corresponding period of 1868. and 4,340,92?1b in the corresponding period of 1867. The imports of Australasian wool attained during the whole of 1868 an aggregate of 155,745,19 Jib, as compared with 133,108.1761b for the Avhole of 1867, and 113,772 6941b for the Avhole of 1866, showing a prodigious stride during the last two years. In 1860 the imports of Australasian wool stood at 39,018,2211b; in 1860 th- total bad grown to 59,16(5,6161b. Since 1860, the progress of the imports has been very rapid, the total fop e;vh year having been as follows :-1861, 68,506,2221b ; 1862, 71,339,8421b; 1863, 77,173,4461b; 1864, 99,037,4591b ; 1865, 109,734,2611b ; 1866, 113,773,694 b; 1867, 133,108,1761b; and 1868, 155,745,1991b.

The Maori Eeserves. —Referring to the recent capture of Maori prisoners, the Nelson Colonist oi Jupe 18 says“ We have suffered too much from prisoners already. Let us remember those of the hulk at Wellington, those translated to Kawau, and, last and worst, those of the Chatham Islands, who wrought the woe of Poverty Bay. The men have been taken with arms in their

hands. Stern justice and the remembrance of their deeds would say, ' Shoot them ! ’ Humanity will say ‘No,’ and perhaps we are not prepared to gainsay the negative, f>r they nre but savages, acting according to their lights. But we must nt be burdened with their maintenance, and there is a way of escape from this. let the whole lot, men, women, and children, be handed over at once as slaves to our friendly allies. Apportion the n among the Arawas the Waugamiis, the Ngapuhis, and other tribes who have stood by us in the war. It is Ma >ri custom ; they are Maori prisoners a id cannibals, and it is a fate far better than their deeds deserve. ”

Mr Stafford and Mr Fnx. —The Lyttelton Times in a recent article, thus judges of the policies of the two parliamentary leaders :—“The public have here before them the principal feature * of the policy propounded by the three parties who arc now bidding more or less openly for office, and can judge for themselves which is likely to be the least injurious. To us they appear almost equally objectionable, but if avc were compelled to elect one, we should reluctantly choose that of Mr Stafford. In saying this, we do not approve in the least of that gentleman’s policy, Far from this, we believe it is fraught with ruin to the Middle Island. But if ruinous, it is at any rate, bold, straightforward, and intelligible. Unlike that of Mr Fox, it tells you bodily Avhat it aims at, and what will be the cost, Mr Stafford declares that he will pledge the whole resources of the colony to quell the wav. Mr Fox says he will borrow if necessary, but as he intends to go on with the war, he must raise a loan. Mr Fox hopes to obtain British troops Avherewith to garrison the towns of the North. The three million loan of 18(33, and the huge commissariat expenditure of that period must have completely debauched this eminent statesman as to render it impossible for him to see what every one else sees clearly enough—that the British Government will send no more troops to New Zealand. In every other respect, the war policy of Mr Fox is the same as the war policy of Mr Stafford, save and except that it lacks thoroughness and straightforwardness. The one is open and bold, the other tries to hide the instrument Avith which he is going to operate.”