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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1187, 2 December 1871, Page 2

Mi* Justice Richmond, in charging the grand jury, at. Nelson, on the 20th No-ember, said At the session of Parliament just closed, several changes have been made in the laws, but up to the present time, they were without information of what had occurred. He himself did not know what was the law with reference to juries. It had been proposed to allow Wo-thirds of the number in civil cases to return a verdict, but whether ibis was now the law or not he was not in a positiqn tq say. They must, however, assume that our

legislators had taken care not to make any laws which, should come into force before the courts of the country received notification of the tact. The abolition of Grand Juries had also been proposed. He did not purpose to enter upon a question just discussed in the Legislature. He would only remark that one effect of the institution appeared to him to be a very good one. The assembly on these occasions, being a body of the principal citizens, certainly tended to give additional solemnity to the proceedings of the Court, and to keep in mind the ugly fact of crime with which the Court has to deal is a matter of the deepest public import, and one with which e\ery person ot high social station had individually to deal. He did not intend hereby to advocate the continuance of grand juries, because no doubt the institution might be so modified, and the judge put into such relations witb the common jury panel as to preserve the real advantages of a grand: jury;'

The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce have again asked to be supplied gratis with shipping information by telegraph, and received the following reply from the general manager:—"The. Commissioner would point out that the re-establishnient of the system of supplying information of the arrival and despatch of vessels at all* ports in New Zealand would entail considerable loss of revenue, besides greatly occupying the wires to the delay of private business. I am also instructed to draw your attention to the fact that when the charges for- telegraphing were reduced to the present rates, the reduction was made on the express underr standing that all shipping reports except such as are now supplied shall be discontinued."

A courageous rescue from a terrible danger is thus related by the Newcastle Chronicle :—A tew days ago a little child, not quite two years old, the son, of Mr Colin Christie, v andered from his home, and after passing along Perkin street, crossed over Hunter-street, and went through the little wicket-gate leading on to the Great Northern Kailway. When on the railway, the child sat down on the plates. The ten o'clock train had but just passed the spot on i's way to the station, and shortly after, as the engine was returning to the Houeysuckle Point Station, the engine driver descried the child sitting on the rails, bub not before he was close upon the spot. He at once reversed the engine, and with the assistance of the stoker, applied the brakes to the fullest. however, within a few yards of the child, finding that the engine could not be pulled up in time, the stoker jumped off the engine, and running before it, snatched up the child just in time tq to save it from crushed to atoms. t Too much praise cannot be awarded to the stoker for his courageous conduct. A telegram dated New York, 15 th September, states: —"Information has been received by Judge Bedford, of the Court of General Sessions, this morning, that a gigantic and wicked conspiracy had been set on foot in Wallstreet for the purpose of locking up millions of dollars; by this means injuring the commerce of the city and the finances of the whole country. The Judge immediately convened the grand jury, and charged them to be prompt and fearless in action at once. In a few days sqme of the most respectable business men of the city will be summoned before the grand jury, when it is expected the most startling exposures will be made."