WHEN SCOT MEETS SCOT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 92, 20 April 1877, Page 2

WHEN SCOT MEETS SCOT.

The ? ChrißtchurchPmsc6n9*3ct9lhe EolfOwing amusing story oni, of -t'h-Oeports of She I proceedings id the Nejsoh-Magistrate'l Court in re Donaldson v. Nash; — »"~ -jri (Tr I The difference between-Tfrulfe 16m the tree and fruit from the kitchen, and the Sistmc-j - tion between ; the duties"; of - the"7poFice''iu l criminal and civil cases are, singularly enough, I questions which are mixed jjp lij a miatter j , which has lately come before twouTustices -of? the Peace-dti the City of Nelsoh, and -the* . world wait*^ for fcheic-, decision; Xlt notrthe Ayorld in general, at aiTy'rate*the;le3ser world : of the city aforesaid,,an_*:in particular ajer- : son named -Donaldson; who has been unkind , enough to his countrymen, aa xepresented-.bv ' the Caledonian Society, to sue' them for-|he sum of £20, ' withsa. v-jew to settling his indig- . nation and the qpestio'ns'*i*it issue. Donaldson was the purchaser of a fruiterer's booth at the Caledonian sports. His purchase, he alleges, was unconditional; bufc a subsequent conversation with the Directors was the means ..of conveying to.his_mind fche not improbable conclusion connected Society's meeting, that his purchase did: nofc permit him to sell tea in a manufactured : form, much as it might -be considered a fruit or an herb by lhe Chinese. Ho, I however, erected a booth, and "trusting 1 to precedents," p ro via e( i. ifc :. w ith' fruit tarts, q'iieen ? s- cakes, mixed • biscuits,' sand- ' wiches, gingerbeer,and leraonade,- ! fruit gener- . ally-prevailing as the -ingredients of these '■ oftentimes pleasiug products of art. . These, i as the local reports state, were spread out in ; tempting array,-!' but shortly [afterwards a , gentleman of. the appropriate.name of Black, unappreciatiye of the arts' of his own or other . color, came to the plaintiff's' stall and told him he would not be allowed tosell" pastry." i Toithis dusky interference he . paid iiQ.atten- 1 tion, but soon. two qfcher directors gave him i warniug that if he did not stop, the safe of' the " forbidden articles "— fruiij/Jfcv^Uriaieiy : on this occasion, not being. ainoiig bidden "—the police ' would be" "catfea ? 'iri. '' Donaldson was still contumacious^ "and "the, police, coming to him in his cauvas abode, "like a wolf on the fold," *3rdei*ed* him to| pack up his tarts, aud, upon his refusing; 1 two* of them were stationed in 'front of the stall to seize the cakes the children were'purchasing, aud to put thorn back on the lable. It is suggestively; aud.it mayj : be reliably. jjdded ,\\ by the reporter of the case, that '"a h'ig'mani came^and bought some 'tarts, bufc fche police il did not interfere with' hira bt Ws- purcha*eV*' I This so-called * « cheerf •al,-st**ite , jqf things " ! continued until the police took the pastryj aid Donaldsoa saw no more of his property:' uutil it was delivered to him "in a terribly; smashed condition.'.? -The ...sandwiches and! pies, as -the plaintiff plaintively stated, "had' got amalgamated, and were utterly ruined." ' , The quotation of legal 'authorises, by : thej defendant's lawyer Mr, Fell concluded the* plaintiff's case, and then the , directors gave their statement, followed— iniratile dictu\~; by the evidence of a sergqant and s officer Qf ■ police that they had made' a 'seizure' of the' goods, adding, however, that' their remova\: had been effected in the most oaref ul manner.* The conclusion of. the case, so far as its hear-j ing went, was an argument betweenJMr 'Pifctj and Mr Fell, but little orjiothing appea-eaJo! have been 'said 'as to the right of the police! to interfere in a. matter, which as confessedly,by the subsequent proceedings, i the*; subject of acivil action,:*:: Apples-,; et &ic,i have. been : ; subjects of discord since the earlier- days of* 1 Eve, and even as police: interference was; ab^.ent;ou. thafc* occasion, no. mighfcni^ppro- : priately have been in thisjatp^ause interest-' mg to apple women, Caledonian societies, and sports committees. '