The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1870. RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 54, 5 March 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1870. RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

[Before J. Shai.p, Esq, R.M., and W. Wells, Esq..J.P.]

This Day. Cattle Trespass. J. Shepherd, J. Bradcock, Thos. Shortliffe, J. Wakely, and A. Le G. Campbell, were fined in the usual penalty for allowing their cattle to stray on the public roads. Insulting Language. R. Grant was charged with usiug insulting language towards Alexander M'Kiuley, gaol warder, with the intent of provoking a breach of the peace. Offence admitted. His Worship stated (hat the defendant had rendered himself liable to a penalty of £10 or three months' imprisonment. Had the warder been on duty at the time he should have inflicted a heavy penalty ; as it was he should five him 10s. t and costs 19s. Assault. Wm. Ccoksey was charged with unlawfully assailing Eli Barnes. Offence admitted, but gross provocation pleaded. Defendant was fined 10s., aud costs 24/6. English Mail. — The Stormbird, with the English "mail on board, is to leave Wellington for Picton and Nelson this evening, and consequently may be expected here in the course of to-morrow. Lunatic Asylum. — A number of the members of the Artizan's Society attended at the Lunatic Asylum last evening, by invitation of Mr. Butler, the keeper, for the purpose of giving the inmates of that institution a musical treat. The proceedings commenced at 7 o'clock with a vocal and instrumental concert, which lasted for an hour and a half, when the room was cleared, and. upon the band striking up the merry tunes of the Scotch reel or the Irish jig, the countenances of those whose minds had wandered from their dwelling perceptibly brightened, and they were eoou eugaged in threading the mazes of the dance with all the alacrity and enjoyment of a young belle on her first " coming out." At 10 o'clock the cheerful little party broke up, and if memory is not denied to tbese poor creatures who are laboring under the heaviest affliction that can possibly happen to any human being, they will, without doubt, frequently look back upon the pleasant evening afforded them by the thoughtfulness of their warden and of those who kindly volunteered their services on this occasion. A Woed and a Blew. — A case was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning which, from the number of persons who were present, appeared to possess much interest for the public. The facts were as follows : A poetical draper and a matter-of-fact carter met one evening when the former commenced to severely criticise the charge lately delivered by the Judge to the Grand Jury, and to make certain comments upon the Wangapeka laud purchasers. To this the latter replied that he, (the former), should not indulge in remarks of such a description as it was a weliknown fact that he had run after a certain individual in the hope of participating with Mm in the expected profits of a purchase made by him in the "Nelson El Dorado. Hereupon the poet answered that such an assertion was false, and the utterer of it a (powerful expression) liar. The prosaical carter replied ..instautaneously by a blow which, to use the poetical description of the recipient, " had it been an inch further back, would have killed me dead on the spot." The blow was admitted, but the administerer of it pleaded that the provocation afforded fully justified its infliction, and called witnesses to prove the high flown language made use of by the complainant. The Magistrate allowed that the provocation was great, but said that no man had a right to take the Jaw into his own hands and consequently he must inflict ft fine.