THE hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, 26th MAY, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1579, 26 May 1874, Page 230

THE hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, 26th MAY, 1874.

One of the substantial signs of the progress of this town and province has been recently afforded by the erection and -opening of the magnificent new hotel on the Market Reserve. In its size, its noble appearance, and the completeness and quality of its furnishings and fittings, it far surpasses any other building in the province. With publichouses at every street-corner, there has hitherto been in this town a great deficiency of comfortable accommodation for travellers, and especially for country visitors with families. A genuine attempt appears to bave been made to supply this want, and the proprietor is deserving of public support. We are glad to see in this town an hotel in which the drink-selling part of the business takes a secondary place, and which bases its claim to support upon the superior accommodation and comfort it affords to visitors. The proprietors of an establishment of this kind need not dread the effects of a popular veto, even though at some future date it might deprive the house of its licence. A house of this kind, which supplies a public requirement, would live and flourish without the accessory of the liquor business, while mere drink-shops would disappear, and their place be occupied by some legitimate industry. The one defect of the new establishment is to be found in its association with the obnoxious liquor traffic; and we are convinced when the time comes for the abolition of that traffic, the public will be the gainers, and houses of real public accommodation will not suffer.

The Herald takes every opportunity of exhibiting its disbelief of that part of Mr CaiTuthers' report regarding the " travelling shingle" in Hawke's Bay. The Napier correspondent of its Poverty|Bay namesake takes a similar view, and in a recent letter writes : " I suppose a man may be a very good engineer, and yet know very little about marine matters." A man who is not an engineer at all may very probably know less. That the shingle in Hawke's Bay travels is not a matter of mere opinion, but of fact, and is readily verified by observation. The phenomenon is not confined to Hawke's Bay, but may be observed wherever the waves of the ocean strike obliquely on a shingle beach ; and in any engineering work's constructed in such a position allowance must be made for the fact. The real question is, what changes the proposed breakwater would introduce in the direction taken by the shingle. On this point—not on the subject of the travelling—the views of practical men differ; and it is to settle this question that the test groins were recommended.

Sunday last being the Queen's Birthday, yesterday was observed in its place as a public holiday, all- public offices and many places of business being closed. The weather during the greater part of the day was fiue, and many pleasure parties were organized. The town band and the Artillery Volunteers held a picnic and sports at-Tara-dale; but the attendance was meagre. In the evening a smart shower of rain fell, which doubtless had the effect of hastening many of the excursionists homewards.

In the Resident Magistrate Court on Friday, Hare Ngawakakapinga, Pititi, and Tame, three natives, were charged on the information of Mr F. Sutton that they did on the 17th May, unlawfully and maliciously damage and injure a certain building then in course of erection, the property of F. Sutton, D. M'Lcan, and Karaitiana Takamoana, to an amount exceeding £o, Hare, flie principal defendant, did not appear, and it was shown that he had not been served. Mr Lascelles, who appeared for the defendants, requested an adjournment. The case would be in no way prejudiced, as he would undertake that his clients would do nothing more in-the matter in the interval. As usual with Maoris, they had delayed instructing their solicitor till almost up to the moment their case was palled; but he had ascertained that there was a real substantial question of right involved, in the exercise of which the act complained of had been committed.—The Resident Magistrate adjourned the case till Tuesday (this day.)

There was one civil case in, the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday —Knowles v. Swindley, a claim of £2 15s 7d.~-Judgment by default for amount of claim and costs.' —After giving judgment the Resident Magistrate noticed that ten per cent, interest was charged, and reduced it to eight per cent., the maximum allowed by the Court. . On Friday in the Resident Magistrate's Court, William Jones was charged with drunkenness, and also with being unlawfully on the premises of E. H. Bold before daylight on the morning of the 22nd inst. E. H. Bold deposed that about 1.45 on the morning in question, Mrs Bold awoke him, telling him some one was getting in at the drawing-room window. Taking his revolver, he went to the room indicated, and saw a man who appeared to be in drink, going down the garden path. Saw Mr Carnell stop the man.—;S. Carnell deposed that some time after 1 a.m. he was awoke by a sound'like a cry of fire. He got up and heard, as he thought, two men talking, though it might have been a drunken man talking to himself. Mr Bold's little dog was barking in a very excited manner. He heard a man coax the dog, Which refused to be quiet, whereupon he swore at it and drove it away. Witness then heard him walk slowly along the verandah and slide one of the windows, upon which he got a hunting-stock, and called Mr Comford. He then went to Mr Bold's gate. Directly after, the man came down the gardeu, and witness detained him. He smelt strongly of brandy. He said "Don't you know me ? I'm Bill Jones, working for Hart and McKinley." Witness, believing that the man had gone to rob the place, said " Then what are you doing here ?" to which he replied, "I'm looking for my horse." Being still under the impression that there had been two men about, he left defendant in Mr Cornford's charge, and looked all round for the other, but could see no signs of any one else having been there.—The case was then adjourned to 3 p.m., in order tnat Mrs Bold might attend and give eviuence.—On the Court resuming, it was stated that Mrs Bold declined to attend. Mr Cornford, who appeared for defendant, said that his client admitted the drunkenness, but disclaimed all knowledge of the other offence. He could produce evidence to show that the accused was a man of good character, but particularly susceptible to the effects of drink.—Constable Moffatt, deposed that he had been acquainted with the accused for some years, but knew nothing against his character. Saw him at 11 o'clock last night with a mate in the street. They were both quiet at the time.—James Gray, landlord of the Forester's Arms, said that he found the accused with another man sitting in his kitchen at five minutes to twelve on the previous night. He told them to go, as he was just closing, and they went quietly away. Jones had called during the day, to see Mr M'Cashion of Opepe, who was ill in the house.—Mrs M'Cashion deposed that her husband was a storekeeper at Opepe. She had known the accused for twelve months. He was a very decent man, apt to get foolish if he took a little drink.—The.Resident Magistrate said he would take a lenient view of the case, as no felonious intent was apparent. The accused had had a very narrow escape of being indicted for burglary, for which he might have been sentenced to a long teini of imprisonment. He must caution him against the liquor. For a person affected as he was by drink, the only safe plan was to abandon its use altogether. The case would be treated as one of aggravated drunkenness. —Fined £l, with 14s costs.