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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1114, 7 September 1871, Page 2

The regular monthly inspection parade of the Napier Artillery Volunteers took place on Olive Square yesterday afternoon. The attendance was not a good one. In the Resident- Magistrate's Court this morning, a drunkard was disposed of in the usual manner. The town of Hokitika, with a population of 3,500 (nearly 1000 of whom are children), supports 98 licensed public-houses, besides a large number of «ly grog shops. Westland, with a po pulation of 15,300, supports 300 licensed houses, besides the sly grog shops. A Martin's Bay correspondent, writing to the Otago Daily Times, of the 22nd ult>, says:-"Let us see how we are situated now, and how we expected to lie in all fairness by this time. It was understood that Government would give 50 acres to any full grown person (male), and that those with four children should have 100 acres. They also said that 10.000 acres were to be given away. This would give a population of 200 people, or with women and children, of nearly 300. Here we have the nucleus of a settlement that reads very well on paper. Now many persons imagined that where 200 people are together there would be some trade doing, and they would stand a chance of making a living there. There can be no doubt, if the programme had been carried out as it should have been, that fiich would have hetn the case. But instead of 200 of a population, we have less than 20," He says again : " To show you how completely we are ignored and cast aside, we will refer to our communication with Dunedin by water -or want of communication, rather, is the proper way of (Hitting it. The settlement lias been in existence now 18 months, and excepting tlie first steamer that came here with the survey party, we have had one, the Taiaroa; and one other looked at us, the Luna, but not staying long enough to land her passengers, proceeded onwards to Greymouth. This is all that Government has done for us. What is the consequence Why, numbers that would have settled here have left sooner than pay the ex orbitant prices charged by the s s. Wai para, on whose kindness and mercy we have been thrown by the generous Government under which we exist. And ttiis is not all, for we have been on the verge of starvation, living on Hour alone for weeks together—no tea or sugar. Not caring to face thi>, men have left have gone away after doing their best, for month-'.*, most likely never to return. Even the s.s. Waipara has given notice that she is coining no more, in which. eas-e are we not light in asking what the intentions of the Government are regarding us 1 " A monster lawsuit is now in progress in the United States. It lias reference to some land in San Francisco, and, according to the United State?*' Jurist, the defendants exceed IQOQ in number, and g7O lawyers are engaged in jt,

While Parliament and the country have been discussing the question whether a man may marry his deceased wife's sister, a grocer lining in Devonshire, has quietly married his deceased wife's daughter. The wife in question died about twelve; months ago, bequeathing to the grocer the care of her daughter by h former husband, the daughter at the time verging on her fiftieth year. The husband, who is himself about forty five years of age, accepted the charge, and has recently married his protege,

The Evening Post, August 31, says : —One of the most beneficial resolutions that has as yet been tabled in the present session was successfully brought on by Mr Gillies yesterday in the House. Its effect was that it would conduce 1.0 the better administration of justice if the decision of two-thirds of juries in civil cases were accepted as final. After the House had affirmed this view, Mr Gillies undertook to bring in a biii to carry it into effect, which, no doubt will meet with due consideration. Whilst on the subject, however, would it not be well to extend such reform to juries in criminal cases'? Possibly the requisite majority might be necessarily, or at least advantageously, increased ; but that the present unanimous verdict is advantageous either in furtherance of the cause of justice, or in the interest of any who may be accused, Ave certainly cannot see. That juries have been starved or frightened into verdicts at times is undoubted. In a capital case in another part of the Colony, within the writer's knowledge a majority of a jury v\eie, we may say, coerced b) a minority of three or four into giving a verdict of manslaughter in a case of as clear murder as was ever brought before a Court. It is all very well to say that jurymen violated their oaths, and that they should not have been influenced, but they were, and in nine cases out of ten a few determined men will sway the majorit •. Whilst on the subject, we hope Mr Gillies will include criuinal cases as well. Could not the Scotch verdict of " not proven," which is in fact a criminal nonsuit, be legalised iu New Zealand 1

The Ojtago Daily Times recently that the Volunteer Officers in punedin had resolved on proourfoo from Messrs JJlkington & Co., Liondon a Milton Shield, as the "Ladies Prize/' The shield it is intended to secure ij one yliich gained the gold medal at the Pans Exhibition, and was subsequently sold for JE2,000 to the Science and Art Department to he placed in the Soutn Kensington Museum. The centre con. tains a representation of Adam and Eve sitting in a leafy bower in the Garden of Eden, and being addressed by an angel. Round the sides of this centre piece, but not meeting either at the top or bottom, are two large panels, on which are depicted scenes representing the war in heaven, and the hurling of the wicked angels into Pandemonium, At the top is a piece of workmanship emblematic of the Godhead, and surrounded by the heads of cherubs. At the foot is represented the Archangel Michael with uplifted sword, trampling on the prostrate form of Satan. The outer rim is tilled with scroll work and various emblematic figures, such as a harp, a crown, a serpent, a globe encircled by a ring, a sun, &c, the whole being surmounted with figures of angels with outspread wings and hands pointing upward. Last year the American internal revenue assessors got some funny answers to the questions printed on their blanks. For instance, to the question, " Had your wife any income last year ] " one person replies, " Yes, one boy," Another, " Her husband's love and as much money from him as she wants, but no other in.ome." Another, "Yes, twins—both well, willing lo be taxed for them." The "VYanganui Herald says :—Mr Travel has been engaged for the defence of McDonald. The retainer to be £ls the first day, and £5 of a refresher for every day that the trial may last. The Wanganui Herald says :—The little steamer Pioneer, whose shrill whistle used to d.uange the auditory nerves of the community, is at present trading on the Manawatu river. Her enterprising owner, Mr Stephen Henson, built her expressly to run on this river, having received liberal promises of support, few of which, however, were kept The steamer was a losing concern, and her owner receiving an offerto lease luu', she was transferred to Manawatu. She receives a subsidy from the Government of £35 a quarter, and Mr Henson is rewarded for his enterprise by a sum of ,£l5O a year for her use, which is a fair interest on her oi iginal cost of £6 OO. The trade of the Manawatu district is daily increasing, and the Pioneer has always as much or more than she can perform. The sitting of the Bankruptcy Court held at Charleston (Nelson), on Angus!; 22, and presided over by his Honor Judge Ward, was a very light one, the greatest part of the business consisting of his Honor with wig and gown, the "oh, yea! oh, yea!" &c, of the Sergeant, and the opening and shutting of the doors. One adjourned bankruptcy case only was set down for hearing, to which, when called out, there was no response, and the hearing was further adjourned until next sitting. The Charleston Herald, August 23, says : ._ A very narrow escape from what would doubtless have proved a serious conflagration, occurred about 5 o'clock this morning. Mr Meredith, tinsmith, was awakened by the crackling of fire, and a smell of smoke, and upon getting out of bed discovered the lining near the fire} dace in the back kitchen, us also the adjoining partition of the sitting room, enveloped in flame. Fortunately, however, there was a plentiful supply of water handy, and, with the assistance of his wife, Mr Meredith succeeded in putting out the fire. The escape was akin io a miracle, and another half minute's delay, would have allowed the flames to have taken too strong a hold to he easily subdued, The fire originated—like many others will in this town if some preventive means art? not taken- through a deW ti\ e fireplace, the ashes having evident!? dropped through underneath the. flowing boards, which smouldering -weW tanned into flames by the N.E, vm blowing at the time,