WARDEN'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Grey River Argus, Issue 125, 30 October 1866, Page 3

WARDEN'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Sly Gnoq Skllixo.— A large number of storekeepers on the various diggings in the Grey district were charged with a breach hi the Gold Fields' Act, in having sold spirils without a license. As is usually the case in prosecutions of this nature, the evidence depended entirely on the testimony of two common informers, this objectionable mode of vindicating the law being found to be the only one that' can secure convictions. It was discovered, however, that the Act is so loosely framed that literally most of the offenders can in most cases snap their fingers at it. The Act makes it imperative that the person infringing it iv the matter of sly grog selling shall be either the proprietor" 6f the building in which, the sale takes place, or the servant of the proprietor. Consequently, "it has to be proved that the persons summoned are in either of the above-mentioned capacities. The prosecution failed iir these particulars in several cases which came before the Court, and the summonses were withdrawn or dismissed, although,there y^as little moral dout>t that the parties had violated the. law. The following is a list of the cases proposed of :— Bridget O'Connor., fined L2O and cosjfcs j Wip. Adrian,' lined LSO and costs, he not appearing to the summous ; Josiah Hannah, fined LpO — no appearance of the defendant ; Henry Phillips, fined L2o ';' Elizabeth Beattie, fined L2o;* Pierce Power, fined -L2O. In the following cases the summonses were withdrawn or dismissed : — Michael Fox, E. M'Conville, Charles Hooper, Stejmen Egan, Peter Elliott r J.. W. Coates, D. Alabaster, Cahili and Scanlan, E. B. Fox. Thccaqo against James Hamilton was adjourned. :