Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1108, 31 August 1871, Page 2

A. man named William Kirkman, better known as Liverpool Bill, was violently assaulted by a foreigner named Christy Mani, at Napoleon, in Nelson province, on the 30th July. Mani is the landlord of an Jjotel and billiard saloon' at Napoleon, and during an altercation which took place in the billiaid-room, Mani struck Kirkman a violent blow on the head with a billiard cue. The painful sequel to this affair is that Kirkman's mind has been affected to such a degree that it has been found nece-sary to place him under restraint. He is now in charge of the police at Ahaura.

CHANGE IN THE CRIMINAL Uf. A vitally material alteration bas lately been made regarding the oHeai of the criminal law of New Zealand, by a rale of the 26th of July, .under the signature of the Colonial Secretary, Mr Gisborne, which, from its recency (notwithstanding it appearance in the Gazette), eannot be very generally known, namely that in all felonies and misdemeanors, the suffering party, who generally bas the disagreeable duty of making the information or charge before the Magistrate, will now have to run the risk and take his chance of having to feear alp. the onus and responsibility of the prosecution, if the official whose duty it hitherto has been to prosecute shall choose .(which choice he not unlikely will usually make) to cast it off his own shoulders, whereby becomes placed on those of the already suffering party the burcjen and expense of prosecuting. The public ought to be aware of this; for they will now be required to prepare tbe necessary indictment and subpoenas, to conduct the cases before the Grand Jury, the Court and Petty Jury, to prepare the Bench Warrants, and "all the rest, and bear all the expenses, besides suffering the criminal loss by the offence. Yerijy (says tlie Bruce Standard) this appears a happy change for aggressors against the criminal law J The public were lately very properly congratulated by his Honor Mr Justice Chapman upon the fewness of criminals then fur trial; and certainly if parties upon whom either felonies or misdemeanors have been committed are aware of the responsibility which is now cast on them by laying their information and complaint, they may probably very sensibly think the first loss is the least, and say nothing about the crime.