THE INVERCARGILL SUPREME COURT.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2560, 22 June 1882, Page 4

THE INVERCARGILL SUPREME COURT.

PPBSSS ASSOCIATION TELRSBAM.] INVEBOIBGILL, June 21

The half-yearly sitting of the Supreme Court was oommenoed to-day before Judge Williams, whose charge to the Grand Jury was not of speoial interest, with the exception of the portion referring to the Wallace election personation case against T. Booth and T. Daniel, M.H.8., which was as follows:—The Begistrar reoeived a claim from one Booth, who is accused under the 28th section of the Corrupt Praotioes Aot of sending in a claim to vote in_ the form preicibed without having authority to do so. This claim purports to be signed by a voter, and is attested byTheophilus Daniel, another of the aocused. It appears from the depositions that the name affixed to the claim to enrolment was signed, not by the person named on it but by Booth, and the deposition of the person whose name appears on the claim shows that he never authorised his signature to be affixed, in writing or otherwise. Booth, who signed the claim in question, is acoused of having done so without written authority, and Daniel, who attested the signature, is accused of having aided and abetted Booth in so doing. This being a misdemeanor the person aiding and abetting is treated and may be indioted as a principal I am unaware of the mode in whioh the indictment in the present case against Theophilus Daniel is framed. If, however, it treats him as a principal offender j that is, if it charges him with having sent in a olaim without written authority, and the evidence shows, not that he sent it in himself, but that he aided and abetted Booth in sending it in, it will be your duty to find a true bill. The Grand Jury found true bills against all the''accused. The oharge against Cornelius Hagan, of laroeny of growing timber, was abandoned, the Crown Prosecutor expressing doubts as to the legality of the indictment. The following cases were disposed of to-day:—William Neilson, laroeny of a watch, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment in consideration of his having been in oustody for four months. John Woodrow, oharged with aggravated assault, was convicted and sentenced to one day's imprisonment on the representations of the jury. His Honor expressed the opinion that the case should have been summarily disposed of. Alfred Harper, late seaman of the Kingdom of Sweden, was convicted of stabbing Jacob Sternman at the Bluff; sentenoe deferred. Thomas Sims was found "Not guilty" of taking with violence a watch from the person of William Mann at East Gore. The oharges of forgery and uttering against Stephen Walsh were sus.tai.ned, but sentence was deferred.

The »:-and Jury sat all day, and on ooneluding their labors made a presentment with reference to the oase of Tait, the railway clerk, oharged with embezzling public funds. They expressed the opinion that there is great looeeness in the manner" of conducting the business of the railways, which to some extent was an enoouragement to commit crime. The system of _ audit seemed also very imperfect. In this case there hod been no proper audit for over twelve months, although a mere examination of the books without reoord had.been made in November last. They also considered that the department was offering an incentive to crime by paying an officer, through whom some £2OOO a month was passing a salary of only £llO per year. Also that there should be looal supervision over the accounts made up by the clerks of the department. The charge against Mr Daniel, M.H.8., will probably be taken on Friday.