COURT MARTIAL.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 289, 10 March 1849, Page 3

COURT MARTIAL.

At a General Court Marti >1 held at Auckland, ofwbich Lieuf.Col. Wynyard, C.8., of the 58th Regiment, wus President, Captain Charles Henry Montresor Smith, Staff Officer of Enrolled Pensioner!, appeared a prisoner, on charges preferred againii him by Lieut. Owen Wynne Gray, of the same corpi. To give any other 1 than the briefest abstract of an inquiry which extended over eighteen days —at which there were six charges preferred, the first embracing eighteen initancei —(with two, or three additional in. stances)—it beyond our limit. We are, therefore, un'Jer the necessity of condensing even the chargei into a compass equal to our means. First Charge.—Embezz'ing Government money. Second —Aiding a«d abetting discontent among I the pensioners at Howick. Thiiu). —Attempting to tamper with one of Prosecutor's wiuiesies. Fourth. —ln having become acquainted with aocu. sations defamatory to his character ai admitted by him to Government, besides asserting that a brother officer "a* one of his accusers, yet taking no iteps, either public or private, against the individual, belying, as slated by him, his character. Fh'th. —Faliefiood. Sixth. —ln haying had his five pre-emption acres of land, as also his forty acres of land, ditched and fenced at the Government expense. First Additional ok First Chaiigb.—-In having employed a pensioner as shoemaker, paying said pensioner out of the Government Treasury. Second Additional.—ln having paid two pensioners out of the public Treasury, the said men being private servants of a Mr. Kels.li, a publican at Hawick. First Additional Charge.—Lending money to men of Captain McDonalds company, thereby tending to bring Captain McDonald into ill favour with his men. To these charge! the priiotier pleaded Not Guilty.

Finding. The Court having maturely weighed and considered the evidence in support of the charges against the pii■oner Captain C. 11. M. Smith, his delence and the evidence adduced in mpport of it, U of opinion, lha with regard to the first charge the pris er is not guilty, and do most lully and honourably quit him of the snme. (A like acquittal was pronounced with reipect to every instance aud eveiy charge ) (Signed) Rohekt Hunry Wynyard, Lieut.-Col. and Presid ent Auckland, New Zealand, 3id March, 1849. Joseph Grcknwoud, Captain 3'st Regiment, Major of Brigade, Updating Judge Advocate. Approved and confirmed. Gbo D. Pitt, Major-General, Commanding Troops in New Zealand.