THE COURTS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 141, 27 July 1880, Page 3

THE COURTS.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT. Br.EKHF.iM, Monday, July 2G. (Before 11. Mclntire, Esq., R.M.] SETTING FrRE TO IXFLAM-XIABLE MATTER. Denis Redmond was charged with setting fire to inflammable matter within the Bo-

rough, and pleaded guilty, saying he was unaware that lie was committing any offence, and was ignorant of the law on the subject. The place where the fire va* made was a section oft Charles Street, where lie was burning some old rubbish and rnnpo.

Tließ.M. said it was well that the public should bear in mind that setting lire to inflammable matter within the town might lie productive of great danger, and the Legislature rightly regarded it, therefore, as a serious offence. In the present case he thought a mitigated penalty would . he sufficient, and fined defendant £1 and 1 costs. USIXO BAT) T.AXOUAOE. ! Mr .Sinclair slid there was an informal tion against Mr John Williams, laid by Mr P. Lawrence, for using obscene language to wards him. Defendant had agreed toapolo- ' gise in Court, and promise not to repeat the j offence, and on these terms the complainant agreed to let the case be withdrawn if the Court would allow it. This Mas agreed to, and the case M'as u'ithdrawn on payment of !)s costs. BREACH 01-- LICENSING REGULATIONS. John Barry, of the South Star Hotel was, charged with neglecting to keep a lamp burning over the front entrance of his licensed house on the night of the 10th instant. Defendant said he lighted the the lamp when he went to bed, and he presumed the stormy weather extinguished it. Constable Rogers proved that the lamp was out on the night in question. Defendant was fined in the minimum penalty of £1 and costs 7s. TRESRASSING ON THE RAILWAY. James Jollyman, George Sutherly, and George Mills -were charged by Constable Rogers with trespassing on the railway between the Opawa bridge and Nelson street, on Sunday week last, such part of the line not being a station, platform, crossing or place M’hich the public have the right of use. The defendants all pleaded guilty. Air Jellymam said it had been a practice to make this a regular Sunday walk, and at Picton and along the line people u-alked on the railway without being interfered with. On this particular Sunday there were many others on the line udio were not brought here. Mr Tait was on the line and M’as near Constable Rogers and the manager of the National Bank was not only on the line hut was working the points, which was, he should think, a much worse offence. He did not see this himself, but Mr Bassett, the stationmaster, told him of it. He thought all should have been treated alike and not a few picked out to be brought to Court. He had not been cautioned by anybody not to walk on the line, and was unaware that he M’as doing anything M’rong, and as this M’as a first offence, he submitted that the Court should dismiss the case.

Mr Sutherly said lie had been M’orking on the line and took a M’alk along it on Sunday to see how it wns getting on. He saw Mr Tait and 14 or 15 other people on the line that afternoon of whom no notice Mas taken.

Mr Mills said it M’as a regular practice to M’alk along the line on Sundays and he M’as not aware that there M’as anything illegal in so doing. The Inspector of Police said he did not desire to press the case wliicli M’as only brought forward to show the public that it was against the law to M’alk on the line except at the crossing places, &c. The Resident Magistrate said under the circumstances lie u’ould dismiss the ease, cautioning the public that future offences M’ould not he so lightly dealt with. Persons trespassing on the line were liable to a penalty of £lO. Mr Hickson, the Clerk of the Court, said there M'as 7s costs to pay on each information.

The Resident Magisirate said, on looking into the matter he found that lie must impose a nominal penalty in order to carry costs, and therefore lie should impose on defendants a fine of Is each and costs.

This M'as paid and defendants left the Court.

There M’ere several debt cases set down for hearing which M’erc settled out of Court. In tin* matter of Adams v. Elliott, the case was adjourned for a M’eek with a view to the parties arriving at a settlement. Defendant admitted the debt and asked for three months’ time] to pay it which offer Air Adams said he was willing to accept if defendant gave him some guarantee of payment within that time.

WARDEN’S COURT. Havelock, July 22. (Before J. Allen, Esq., Warden.) The following applications for protection were granted : —From Heiden and party ; special site, Synnerholdin and party; water race, John Ahern ; double area, Ahern and Doherty ; extended area, Nelson C. ; tail race, Nelson C. ; protection, Hartam and party; do. Hart and party. An application from Henry Christian Moeller was withdrawn. RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT. Havelock, July 22. Before J. Allen, Esq., R.M. Muir vs. Muir. —This was a case that had been brought before the R.M. Court, Wellington, when Muir, the defendant was adjudged to pay £1 per week towards the support of his wife. The defendant is at present in the employ of Mr R. Jones, of Havelock, working as a carpenter. Mr Jones agreed to pay £1 a week so long as the man was at work for him, but there being £ll arrears to pay, the final adjustment of the claim was adjourned to August 19, so that the R.M. at Wellington may be communicated with. Police v. Johnson.—Defendant was fined 5s and 2s costs for drunkenness. Police v. Nesbitt.—Defendant was fined 5s and costs or 4S hours’ imprisonment for an offence against decency. Police v. Fear.r—Defendant, who was charged with gambling in his licensed house —was absent through illness. Mr McNab for the defence. £2 was paid into Court in case of conviction. A great deal of evidence was taken, and the defendant was fined 20s and costs. Mr McNab gave notice of appeal on a point of law. Police v. Doreen.—Defendant was charged with not having the lamp alight over the principal door of his hotel on the morning of June 2Sth, at 4 o’clock, and was fined 20s and 11s costs. Defendant was further charged with allowing drunkenness in his house on the night of the Gth July, and was fined 20s and costs 17s. A large amount of evidence was taken in both the above cases, Mr McNab appeared for the defence. Mr Doreen was also charged with obstructing the police in the execution of their duty, and the case adjourned to Thursday, August G.

Police v. Dorreeii, Senr.—Defendant was charged with a breach of the Vagrant Act on the Gth July, ISBO. This case was also adjourned till Thursday, August sth,

Poli/.-e v. Williams.-—The accused M’as charged with using profane language on flic night of the lOtii July, and M’as fined on ami costs Bs, or 48 hours imprisonment. Police v. Bruce.—Defendant was charged with having a foul chimney on the night iof the 7tli July, it having caught fire. Mr McNab, who appeared for the defence, objected to the Act being put in unless the Gazette u-as produced. The case Mas dismissed. Air McNab applied for costs, which the Court did not allow. Police v. Brownlee and Co. —William Brownlee and George Crichton, of Havelock, Alexander Brown, of Picton, and Robert Forrest, of Kahuna, trading under the name and firm of Brownlee and Co., M’ere each severally summoned for selling a bottle of brandy, they only being licensed to sell in quantities of not less than two gallons. The ease was adjourned until August nth. It appears that defendants, under the “ Distillation Ac-t, ISOS,” hold thoir license, hut they are now told that under this Act they have no right to sell. The license runs as follon’s :—“ License to Wine and Spirit merchant. (Under ‘ ’The Distillation Act, ISfiS.’). No. 1253. Whereas Brownlee and Co., of Havelock, have paid into my office the sum of One Pound, I, George Augustus Kmpson, do hereby license the said Brownlee and Co. to sell in quantities of not less than two imperial gallons, Spirituous Liquors, Wine, or Fermented Malt Liquors, upon all of which the duty has been paid, from the first day of January, in the year 18S0, to the thirtyfirst day of December, in the year 18S0, under the provisions of the Act. Georue Kmpson, (Office), Officer in charge of C'us, toms.”

Dick v. Hogan—Larceny.—Air McNab appeared for the prosecutor. Defendant, who is the Sergeant of Police stationed at Huvelock, was charged with stealing one bottle of brandy of the less value than 20s, from Dick. The case M'as withdrawn on condition that the property M’as restored to Dick, which Mas accordingly done. The cose arose out of the matter of Police v. BroM’nlee above referred to. The following debt cases were disposed of : Davis v. Isaac. —Claim £2 Bs. Struck out. Bruce v. Adams.—Claim £4. Defendant did not appear. Judgment by default. Moeller v. Wells.—Claim £2B 18s fid. Judgment reserved until August nth. Cau’te v. Maugham.—Claim £2 11s Bd. Judgment for £2 its.