SUPREME COURT. Monday, March 18.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1137, 20 March 1872, Page 2

SUPREME COURT. Monday, March 18.

(Before His Honor Judge Richmond.) '■■ After taking his seat, the Judge said : Mr Foreman and gentlemen of the grand jury-^-The calendar is rather heayierithan has been the case in recent circuits in this district. It comprises, nominally,-four-teen cases, but there are. only eleven persons charged, and two of them being charged with more than one offence of the same character the cases are reduced to' eleven. Considering that- the cases had been accumulating for six months, the, calendar cannot be said to be heavier than usual.,. Moreover, none of. the charges are of a sjerious character, nor do iknow that there is anything in any one of them which needs from me special instructions to you. ■, 1 1 will, however, say a few words with respect to a case which stands at the bottom of the list. It is a charge against a dealer, in Hokitika of breach of "the Arms Act. That, Act is not merely a fiscal law for the protection of revenue, but was passed under circumstances existing in the North Island. The penalties under the Acb "are very severe^ but: they were deemed to be required. The Act was originally passed in 1860, andutifortunately the legislature found it necessary to renew the Act from time to time. It wag-tto<>-nrtf-ax><r-tq jjtutßUli tins cajolwKjticr,but was enacted to secure the safety of our fellow colonists in the North Island. Fortunately there is not the sameiiecessity for the* enactment in -thisisland/ and" at first sight it might appear to you not to be necessary to enforce the Act here. But if, the. same.; freedom of trade in arms and ammunition . ., were allowed here, as'«. is allowed at Home, evil-disposed persons might .take adva'ntagft of that freedom to make shipments . of arms or ammunition to some unguarded spot on the Northern Island. I mention this to. you because . you might suppose, that the . Act . is m ot required here, but the . highest authority —the legislature— has decided that at is required.. There are very few cases in the calendar from Hokitika, most of them being from- remote districts. \ Ther evidence in some of these is rather weak, though possibly the Crown may be able to bring stronger evidence in support of the charges than appears ; on the deppsitious. In one case, judging from, the positions^ -the propriety 7 of : committal, seems to me questionable. Tliereisbne case of libel, but I suppose fchatTs a private prosecution.; I am not aware that it is so, but I infer {as much. -There-are one; or, two cases in the calendar with rather ugly names ; one of arson and.one of .burglary. / But those cases are not of ■the gravity of offences which are" ranged under those terms" in •'the old country.- I do hot say that the cases; are not properly charged as arson an d burglary respectively but the offences are not in themselves so serious as the terms used would seem to indicate. / 1 do not think Phave anything more to say to you/ Gentlemen, except that there 'is nothing in the- state of the district that calls •;uppn me for remark. Yon may: now retire "to ; your room to consider the bills which "will ~ be:laid-be-fore you. ,V: ; ;: ;: i ' Two cases were tried during the day, that of Samuel Solomon for breach ofihe Arms Act, and Michael Browne for arson.. In both cases' verdicts of acquittal' were i returned. ; <-. The Grand Jury threwi i out the bill against Ann Freeman foriarceny, also that against John Farris ! for embezzlenient, and . the bill- against James Riordari oft a charge of • rape 'littld girl six years of age. ,In reference tb this case liis Honor remarked that tjie evidence' of the medical Witness,- 'on!' the depositions, was directly against the charge; and he was surprised that ; the had committed the accused .•; for; ; >trial. - Mr South said there was another charge or indecent assault against Riordan, but after the expression of opinion /which -hid fallen from his Honor, the indictment would notbe preferred. HisiHonor said , that Mr South had exercised a wise {discretion. It jy_as^ very necessary to' be, extremely cautious in respect to such cases, as charges of this kind were ; frequently "< trumped up, and there was something leading to such d conclusion on the' depositions in the present case. . Mr Button, 1 f6r the defendant, said that as lie'was out on bail he need not be called upj His Honor acquiesced, arid ordered that the recognizances be discharged. ■ , A telegram from Paris," .diated February! ! 5, states that "grefcit interest is felt there* ■) in the discussion of the Alabama claims ' now going on in England, aud the result 3 is awaited with m'ueh. anxiety. 1 i A terrible railroad accident occurred * near Nice. The train broke through the ( bridge over the" TagUpni River, precij pitatiug the cars into the water. Fourteen; persons , were ; ', filled . ancl , many. „ others 1 c wounded. -,\/: .^ t ,uK^:\ '. --..( - -or..}V- i