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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 699, 12 July 1869, Page 3

Cottrt Maiitial.—The following extraordinary case is given by the Canterbury Evening Mail as a fact :—During the late movenenis af the troops on West Coast, Sergeant-major Wilson, late of the i-iifle Brigade (regular service), came out to New Zealand, and volunteered for active ser vice. He was accepted, attested, and des patched for the Front. On arriving at VVanganui he borrowed a pound from & gentleman, formerly well known as cavalry adjutant in Canterbury; and on arriving at Patea had very little left in his pocket Being stationed, shortly afterwards, a few miles from Patea, occupying a tent with three other non-commissioned officers, they found themselves very short of meat. Sergeant Wilson happening to stumble acro-s a friendly native—a Kupapa—who was the lucky possessor of three quarters of a pound of bacon, offered him a shilling (his all) for it. Be it remembered, he did not understand the "korero Maori," neither did the Kupapa understand the "koreroPakeha." The native, according to his idea, wanted a stiok, or two sticks, of tobacco, in addition to the Is; but he told him he had no tobucco, which was true, as every one in camp was short of it. However, he bore off the bacon, and the Kupapa vanished with the shilling. After cooking the precious morsel, the four uoneommissioned officers were just squatting down iu their tent to eat it along with their po tatoes, when an officer marched up to the door of the tent, and accused riergeant vVilsou of cheating the native (who ac couipanied him) of two sticks of tobacco. Denials and explanations were useless. .Sergeant Wilson was told to consider himselt under arrest until a court martial vva? convened. On its being held, he was at once condemned to one year's imprisonment in Wellington j lil! On his way to Wellington, under escort, a gentleman on board heard his story, and on his own responsibility told it to the Governor, tiergt. VVilsou was brought before the Groveauor, and respectfully, though indignantly, statej ins case, saying if he had frieuds they would try the law of the case. His Excel leucy said there seemed to have beeu htllc law in the matter, and told him he was at liberty to go where he liked. Accordingl) lie came down from Wellington by steamer, and when last we heard of him he was in Christchurch. If such thing* as these are permitted, can we blau>e the coolness of uutnei men towards the colonial ser vice ? Here is a trui case of an old soldier, who had risen to the highest rank as a noncommissioned officer iu the Imperial army, in one of tue best divisions of our force? (the Kifle Brigade) with medals and goou conduct stripes, rewarded for his services ai last by 12 months in jiil for an ou\mc« of which he was guiltless, on the word alone of a friendly (?) naiive. Such things ought to be investigated,