SOUTHLAND DISTRICT COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 2964, 19 August 1872, Page 2

SOUTHLAND DISTRICT COURT.

The criminal sittings of the district Court were opened on the 10th by Judge Ward, who, in opening the Court, is reported tq have made these observations, in expressing regret at being unable to appear in wig and gown;—“ Owing te the unforsesn delay of a steamer, I reached Dunedin 48 hours later than ! expected, and in consequence was compelled to choose between riding overland from the Clutha—a journey in which the conveyance of official costume was impossible —aud waiting for a steamer at Dunedin. It seemed to me that, as the latter course would necessitate an adjournment of the court to some day next wo eh, aud great coil Sequent inconvenience to witnesses and to the publiq, it was better to dispense for once with official paraphernalia. I must say that the present state of the roads scarcely tempts me to repeat the.experiment. It is much to boro*

grafted that some attempt at improving them Should not be made without delay. There Was only one case for trial. James M Intosh, a settler at Limestone plans, was found imilty of a breach of sub-section J, of section 302 of the Bankruptcy Act, in concealing a debt due to him. It appeared that the prisoner was dueL2ood 1 on account of some oat transaction* with a Mild‘Donald, a Riverton storekeeper; and this money he requested M‘Donald to place to the credit of his (MTnfcosh’s) mother-in-law, Who proved that she was indebted to him for services rendered at harvest time, and attendance upon his wife. The jury accompanied their verdict by a recommendation to mercy on the ground that the prisoner might have thought he owed the money to Ins mother-in-law. Judge Ward, in passing a B entenoe of twelve months’ imprisonment, said he was unable to see m the ciroumstances mentioned by the jury any claim to the lenient consideration of the Court.