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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 171, 22 July 1868, Page 2

At the Besidenfc Magistrate's Courfc yesterday morning, a man, named Henry Aston, was brought up, charged with being a lunatic at large, the details of whose case revealed some singular proceedings on the part of the Marlborough authorities. It appeared thai Aston, who is a man of about 25 years of age, a brickmaker by trade* and a native of Harapstead, wag an immigrant by the Cissy, and soon after his arrival here was charged with threatening to commit a violent assault on one of his fellowpassengers, but was discharged. He was next heard of in the neighborhood of M'Farlane's Accommodation House, where he was looking for work, and where he suddenly left his companions, saying that he was 'off to headquarters,* and no further tidings were received of him until information was given to Mr Inspector Shallcrass, to the effect that Aston was a confinee in the Picton Lunatic Asylum. Mr Shallcrass thereupon wrote to the keeper of that establishment, enquiring into the truth of this statement, and stating that he had a box of clothes belonging to the man in his charge. To this letter no answer was received, and nothing more was heard of Aston until Saturday the 11th inst., when he was seen at the Steam Boat Tavern on the Haveu Road, where his strange eccentric manner attracted the attention of the landlord, Mr Bush, A constable was sent for, and he was taken to the lockup. During the 24 hours be was confined there, he obstinately refused either to eat anything or o to utter a syllable. He was then removed to the Hospital, where he was under medical treatment, and where he was identified by some of his fellow passengers by the Cissy. Aston was, as we have already stated, brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, and was then committed for safe custody to the Lunatic Asylum, where, although very obedient to orders, he still refuses to reply to any questions put to him. It may be in the memory of our readers that an announcement, copied from the Marlborough papers, appeared in the local journals here, stating that the Lunatic Asylum at Picton had been abolished, and that of its two inmates, one had been discharged and the other forwarded to Auckland. It would therefore appear that Aston had been discharged, or. more probably, sent up from Picton on board one of the steamers and put

I ashore here. No excuse can be found for puch conduct on the part of the Marlborough authorities in thus turning adrift on this . community, without any warning, a dangerous lunatic, of whose state they. had been previously advised by Mr Inspector Shallcrass. We have been requested to state that, in consequence of the very unfavorable state of the weather, it has been thought advisable to postpone the entertainment announced to be given by Mr Charles ii| Russell this evening, at the Provincial | Hall, in aid of the Nelson Institute. The | date of the entertainment will be an--1 nounced in a day or two. We regret to state that an accident oc- \ curred at an early hour this morning, at \ the Steam Flourmill, Alton-street, to a son f of Mr Andrew Black, a fine lad of 17 or ! 18 years old, whose right hand was caught 1 in the machinery, and two of the fingers so | severely lacerated as to render immediate | amputation necessary. We understand J (hat this is the third accident of a similar \ character which has occurred at this estab- : lishment within a comparatively short period, aud we may be permitted to express a hope that some precautions may at once be taken to prevent the recurrence of such disasters. .] The Moutoa steamer is to make her first ; trip to Wairnea West and the Upper .! Moutere to-morrow, leaving the Govern;i ment-wharf at 8 a.m. for Bronti, and cali ling, if need be, at the Rabbit Island. This ] will be a favorable opportunity to sports- | men and others to visit this latter locality | especially, as the Moutoa will return in * the evening to Nelson. I A telegram has been received stating that the Otago will leave Wellington for this port at 4 p.m. to-day. She may therefore bring both the Suez and Panama Mails, unless indeed, as occurred last month, they are delayed for the departure of the subsidized boat, the Taranaki, in which case they will not arrive before Friday night or Saturday morning. An£ accident this morning about halfpast B' o'clock, to a boy about 10 years old, the son of Mr J. White, of Bridge-street. It appears that the boy was riding a horse barebacked up from the river, and probably with loose rein, when, on making for the right of way at the rear of the Wakatu Hotel, he came in contact with the leading horse of Mr. Dunlop's team, which was coming out of the lane at the time. The horse on which the boy was riding shied, and literally slid several feet across the pathway, throwing the boy under the dray, immediately behind the heels of the horse. Mr Dunlop immediately stopped his horses, when the boy was found to be insensible, in which, state he remained for about 20 minutes. Dr. Cotterell was quickly in attendance, and we learn that the boy is now quite recovered, having, strange to state, received no other injury than the stunning effects of his fall. Two new Rules, under the Resident Magistrates Act, 1867, are proclaimed, aa follows, in a recent Gazette: — 1. In any case where the plaintiff, or where there are more plaintiffs than one, all the plaintiffs are absent from the Colony and there be within the Colony an agent authorised to transact his or their affairs generally, and to prosecute and defend actions in hia or their behalf, such agent shall be entitled to appear and act in any Court under the said Act for the plaintiff or plaintiffs as fully as such plaintiff or plaintiffs themselves could.— 2. In any «ase where the plaintiff or plaintiffs shall be absent from the Colony at the time when it is desired that a summons should be issued under the 34th section of the said Act, 6uch summons may be issued on proof by oath viva Toce, or by affidavit by any person who can depose to the facts required by such section to be proved. A smart retort was made in the Legislative Assembly, Melbourne, on June 11, by Mr Longmore. Mr Fellows was pointing out the unreasonable conduct of the Opposition in postponing the mere -formal motion necessary before any supplies can be granted, that the speech of his Excellency be taken into consideration. In doing so, the hon. member reminded the House that majorities were not always in the right; for instance, he said, it was a majority that voted for Barabbas. This hit was received, with roars of laughter and cheers from both sides of the House, which were continued and repeated when Mr Longmore rose and said, the lion, member forgot to mention on that occasion the majority was acting under the instructions of the Council.