RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 213, 9 September 1870, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before the Hon. T. Renwick, and C. Hunter Brown, Esq., J. P.' s.) This Day. Francis Harris, remanded from Friday last on a charge of embezzlement, was brought tip for examination this morning. Mr. W. Pitt appeared for the prisoner. John Leslie, sworn : I am agent for the Bank of New Zealand, at Westport. An account was opened on behalf of the Provincial Government, in the name of Francis Harris, as sub-treasurer. Prisoner was in the habit of drawing on that account. Since the 14th March he has drawn £18,501 13s. This is exclusive of all suras drawn earlier in the month, but accounted for in the February statement. I produce the pass-book which shows a credit to the Government of £500 which has since been paid to the warden at Charleston, by the order of Mr. Harris. The last item he drew of £4001 closed the account. No one else drew on this account but Harris. By the Bench : Prisoner had no private account at the bank. All the cheques were signed by him as sub-treasurer. John Sharp, sworn : I was Provincial Treasurer up to Ist July last. I was so in January, 1868, since when Harris has had the management of the accounts on the West Coast. All the other officers had to account to him. It was his business to furnish monthly accounts of receipts and expenditure. This was done regularly up to February last, at which time the accounts appeared to balance. Since that time he has drawn, so far as I know of, up to 31st March, £1000, to 30th June.£7oGo, and on the Ist July £1500. Harris used to send the vouchers up to me, I handed them to the Auditor who passed them on to the Superintendent, and they were then returned to me. None of this money would be accounted for to me, but to my successor. Joseph Shephard : I am Provincial Treasurer, and have "been acting as such since Ist July. Since that date I have accepted a draft of Harris' bearing date July 9, for £3000. He has drawn on me for two uther sums, one of £2000, and the other of £4COI 13s. These I refused to accept as they were not countersigned by Dr. Giles. Harris I believe, was allowed an overdraft as SabTreasurer. Since I have been in office Harris has furnished me with no accounts. The sums of £2000, and £4001 13s have been charged to the Provincial account. I have not gone over all the accounts myself as I have been laid up for some time. The Crown Prosecutor said he considered there were sufficient grounds for the committal of the prisoner who, it had been proved, had received £IS,OOO whereas he had only been able to account for something over £ 16,000. Something had been said about moneys that might still be in the hands of the wardens, but that was for the prisoner to prove, and as he had not attempted to do so, it might be reasonably supposed that he was unable to make out his case. He (Mr. Adams) must therefore ask for acommittal. Mr. W. Pitt said that he was not in a position to ask the magistrates to say that a prima facie case had not "been made out, and was therefore prepared to submit to a committal. Prisoner, who stated that he should reserve his defence, was then fully committed for trial at the next assizes to be held in November next. Mr. Pitt then applied for bail. He was prepared to offer substantial bail, as tlure were at least four persons in Westport who were willing to become sureties, and as it was necessary in preparing tbe defence that he should have the assistance of the prisoner, he hoped the Crown Prosecutor would offer no objections. Mr. Adams, while he should place no objections in the way of bail being accepted, felt bound to inform the Bench that ether charges were likely to be brought against the prisoner, as several of the vouchers sent in appeared to have been tampered with. He was not in a position to prove this yet, and it might turn out that the suspicions were groundless, but he felt that he should not be justified in not mentioning the matter. Mr. Pitt again addressed the magistrates on the question of bail, and after adjourning for half an hour they stated their willingness to accept bail, the prisoner in £800 and two sureties in £400 each. Mr. Pitt asked to be allowed to find, four sureties in £200 each, instead of two in £400, but this the bench declined to accept. Prisoner was then removed, Mr. Pitt stating thai the required bail would be forthcoming so soon as he could communicate With Westport. re!^'