NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6508, 5 January 1882, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

[Pbb Pbbss Association.] "AUCKLAND, Jan. 4. Tho Quarterly Sessions of the Supremo <„trt commenced to-day. Tho Judge, in S charge to the jury, said twenty persons wre charged with twecty-two offences. The most serious was that of one Maori killing mother. He pointed out tho difference between murder and manslaughter. Next in importance was rapo alleged to have been committed on a Maori woman by a bushman. The other cases were perjury (2), breaking and entering agaitst four Maonos. indecent assault (2), several c«.sea of breaking and entering, «~<* two oi 88ndlD K threatening letters against the same person, attempted ■nicide, maliciously wounding a horse, several oases of larceny, breach of tho Corrupt Practices Act, besides three cases of pel. In connection with tho latter, the Judge deprecated tho custom of bringing criminal actions instead of taking tho civil remedy, especially where the oases were of a private nature. Tho Grand Jury found true bills against A. Clune and B. Robinson stealing from a dwelling, and J. H. M'Govern, attempted suicide. •Juki, a Maori, for horsestealing, was sentenced to two years; Bichard Roberts, larceny, eighteen months. An elderly man named Murray died suddenly at Coromandel. Deoeased is said to be a near relative of a Seotoh baronet Francis William Crow was sentenced to three months'- imprisonment for keeping a brothel. He has been imprisoned before for tho same offence. Shocking disclosures were made. He lived on the profits of the prostitution of seven young girls, who were in the Court. The Magistrate expressed regret that he could not inflict a heavier sentence. Comment iB made on the fact that a stowaway on the Australia was quarantined, while the Hon Mr Whitaker boarded the mail steamer to see Sir H. Parkes, and returned to town. OPUNAKE, Jan. 4 James Henry, coach driver, has been arrested for stabbing a stableman on Sunday last. He is now remanded to New Plymouth. PATEA, Jan. 4. Mr Sherwood, the Mayor, has announood his intention to prosecute the iVetM for libel. WELLINGTON, Jan. 4. H.M.S. Emerald was expected to leave Sydney on Dec. 31 for Wellington, reaching here about Jan. 10. It is understood that ■he will take His Excellency to either Fiji or Sydney. The total Customs' revenue collected in the Colony for the nine months ending Deo. 31, amounted to £1,074,749, being about £66,000 over the estimate. At the Supreme Court George Thomas Skinner got 12 months' hard labour for forgery. Alfred Morey and Elisabeth Stewart were convicted of robbery from the person, and sentenced to three years' and six months* imprisonment respectively. Mary Horsy was acquitted. The charge against the Hon 0. J. Phararyn will bo heard tomorrow. The ship Waitara was admitted to pratique this afternoon. OAMABU, Jab. 4. A new stone-cutting . machine' was tried to-day by the Oamaru Stone Company at one of their quarries. The machine ie driven by ■team, and saws the stone through with a straight face to it. Ihe invention is a very ingenious one, and is capable of doing as much work in a day as it previously took 12 or 15 men to do.

DUNEDIN, Jaw. 4. At Waikouaiti a boy named Child* was drowned while bathing in the river. The Supreme Court opened to-day. His Honor Judge Williams congratulated the Grand Jury on the fact that there were no j serious charges. No hills were returned against John Stewart, for larceny as a bailee; William Gawne, charged with wife-beating; and Mary Ann Weston, for manslaughter. Herbert Vincent, a deaf and dumb man, pleaded * ; Guilty " to two charges of forgery committed in October last. He was an old offender, and the Crown Prosecutor mentioned that prisoner had been employed in the Public Works Department and had forged the pttmft of the head of the department. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. James Wilson,. aged 17, was found guilty of larceny from a miner's hut at Cromwell. It was mentioned that he had broken out of gaol there, and tried to raise a loan from a local banker on the security of the house he had just left. The jury recommended him to leniency. The Judge deferred sentence. John Johnson, on a charge of horse stealing at Palmernton, was found "Not Guilty" by direction of the Judge, the evidence showing that he had been left in charge of the proseoutor's horses. John Dupie* was found guilty of stealing fowls. Prisoner was a policeman, and had stolen fowls from premises he had been asked to watch. Sentence was reserved. Mary Lloyd, a servant eirl, pleaded guilty to robbing her mistress of jewellery. She was sentenced to two nipnths without bard labour, and was ordered to be kept isolated. Robert Smith pleaded "Guilty" to & charge of assault on a little girl with intent to commit rape, st«ting that he was drunk. The Judge said be would not order a flogging in this case, but would sentence prisoner to four years' penal servitude. Frank Thomson, who committed the impudent theft at Watson's Hotel on New Year's Day, pleaded " Guilty." Sentence was deferred. C Coombs and Bon, tanners, have called a meeting of creditors. The liabilities are £48,000; partly secured assets, £26,000. A letter from Government, giving details of the intended plan of dealing with the Oiago roos, was read at the Land Board today. It was decided to hold a special meeting on Tuesday next to consider it. There was a good attendance at the Caledonian sports to-day. The principal excitement was in the wrestling contests left undecided from the previous day. Border wrestling was won by Strong, who caused Bob*rtton,the giant half-caste, to slip his bold. In the consolation wrestling Hudson threw Bobertson also, which was a great surprise. Thornton and Bobertson wrestled in Cornish etyle for half-an-hour without result, when Bobertson, tired out, drew off the jacket and gave in. The five mile race produced a most exciting finieb, Burke, the scratch man, just losing by two or three yards. Time—2Bmin 45 sec. The police are taking no action in regard to tho bottle found on the Waikouaiti beach, asking for assistance, at the thing is palpably a hoax. BLUFF, Jatt. 4. The annual regatta was a great success, but was marred by tbe accident to the pair-oared outrigged skiffs, two of which wero swamped and one man, Andrew Bobertson, drowned. The Invercargill crew took the Four-oared Inrigged Skiff Race easily. The Ariel won the cutter race. The body of Harry Mitchell, who has been missing for the past fortnight, has been recovered under the wharf. [PSOM OUB OWN COBBBSPOHDBNT.]

AUCKLAND, Jan. 4. The Star, referring to the Judge'e charge, •ays:—"The large proportion of Maori offences on the calendar gathers importance and becomos an occasion for some anxiety. There are 40,000 Maories in the North Island. Traffic in land, with its attendant encouragements to intemperance, is exciting an overwhelming influence in the direction of demoralisation and pauperism. If Government do nothing tocounteract these agencies, we may prepare ourselves for a steady development and aggravation of the evil whioh already crops out so unpleasantly upon criminal calendars."