DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1483, 6 May 1873, Page 2

DUN ED I N.

(from our own correspondent.) April 20. The breach of promisacase — Wenkheim v. Amdt — referred to in my last, terminated ingloriously in a verdict for the plaintiff, damages one farthing, each party to pay their own costs. In cross-examination, the counsel for the defence completely turned the tables, and though the letters and other documents read were very amusing, they failed to influence the minds of the jury. The reason tor the case came out during the trial, and it was not at all one of wounded feelings, but of rivalry in storekeeping, and fear of being laughed at in the district. It would have been better if the plaintiff had had a little more philosophy, and borne the jeers of his neighbors, than that he should have thus brought his own and the affairs of others before the public in this the most expensive of all ways. The new trial of Ryan for shooting at Detective Farrell with intent to kill him was get through with much sooner than the former one, as it only lasted two days. Some little scraps of new evidence were hunted out, which tended to throw some doubt upon Ryan being the guilty party. : . This was particularly the case with an unexploded cartridge which was found in the neighborhood of the place where the shots were fired, and which did not correspond with those found in Ryan's box. Farrell's evidence, too, was considerably shaken on cross-examination, particularly ia regard to his recognition of the man in the dark, other witnesses having said it was hardly possible. The Judge's charge to the jury was, if anything, rather against the prisoner, but the jury, after a comparatively short consultation, acquitted him, and he was discharged. But the question yet remains, Who was the guilty party 1 And it would ba strange if the police, in thus confining their investigation altogether to Ryan and his doings and affairs, should have let the actual perpetrator of the deed get clear off. It is not likely that at this space of time anything will ever transpire (save by confession by the guilty one) which will clear up the mystery. Mr Donald Reid, M.H.R., addressed his constituents at Mosgeil, East Taieri, on Wednesday evening. It was by way of rendering an account of his stewardship during the late session of Assembly. Mr Reid entered fully into the various questions that then came most prominently forward, and he defended the action he took in regard to them. He also defended very cleverly the course adopted by the Stafford Government (of which Mr Reid was a member) during the short term he was in office, and pointed out many blunders made by the Yogel party, more particularly in regard to the railways. In regard to finance, he was very severe in denouncing the course adopted by the present Ministry, as calculated to involve the country in serious troubles. In short, Mr Reid thoroughly asserted himself, and of course proved his case triumphantly. His speech was a very able one, and was very well received by his audience, who frequently interrupted him with applause. A vote of confidence in him as their member was unanimously passed at the close. This speech will form a fruitful text for leader writers for the next week or two.— Mr John Bathgate, M.H.R., addresses this constituency next week, when thero will be a jolly row, tin? less Pawky John succeeds in talking his audience over. Our Superintendent, Mr Macandrew, is also to deliver himself of a" political speech in a few days, so that our local politicians will have no lack of patriotism till the Provincial Council meets. Between the City Council and the Directors of the Water Company there is now a real rupture regarding the sale of the works. The difference in duration of the debentures offered compared with that which the Council were only able to offer — 30 years instead of 50— was the ostensible cause. Of course the Mayor and some of the Councillors are indignant, and so forth, and talk of appealing to Parliament to restrict the company's powers, to reduce their rate of interest, and even go so far as to threaten the Directors with a new set of works. But this is only popularityhunting with a few of them, in view of the coming elections, and will likely calm down a bit when the matter is being treated of in committee. The barque Chattanooga sailed for Hong Kong on Thursday with a number of Chinese passengers, and their usual accumulations of old iron and other notions, as well as a fair amount of gold distributed over the lot. About 70 bales of fungus were on board. The Port Railway, being now in the hands of the Government, D. Rolfej Esq., has been appointed traffic manager. All free passes issued by the Promoters are now cancelled. The long drought has given way at last, aud the hearts of the miners up country will be correspondingly uplifted. B^ain has been falling steadily since 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, and it looks this morning as it it did not mean to stop for a few hours yet.