RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. Auckland, Friday, September 5, 1851. Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., Resident Magistrate-Tub Queen v. IIobson.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 563, 6 September 1851, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COUR T. Auckland, Friday, September 5, 1851. Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., Resident MagistrateTub Queen v. llobson.

William Hobson, of the firm of Western &. Co., appearetl to answer a charge preferred ag.unst him by Jolm Guilding, Locker in 11. M. Customs, with having passed an <mry wherein the weight of two Bales of iirown Paper was improperly desenbed, contrary to the Customs Ordinance.Sess.il, No. 5, and Customs Ordinance Sess. 1, No. 3, Clause °22, whereby the 6aid bales of paper weie claimed to be foifeited. T. E. Taylor, Chief Clerk at the Customs, gave evidence that an entry had been made by defendant on the 21st August, of some goods ex No)folk, from London ; that two bales of brown paper were described among the goods entered ; the quantity of paper contained in these bales was desenbed to be 4cwt., on vbicli the sum of Ids. duty was paid, being 4s. per cwt., the rate of fixed duty ; defendant is a custom Louse agent, — the paper belonged to Mr. Brown. Joun Maitiifws, Weigher m the Customs, deposed that be weighed the bales, and found one of them to contain 411!b5., less l.Mbs. tare, the other, 67(>lbs. Jess 251bs. taie; weighed them a second time in presence of the Collector, and found the first weighiug correct. T. H. Ely, Locker, had superintended the weighing of the two bales of paper, and found the net weight of them to be 10491b5. ; the bum paid as duty, accoiding to the entry, is wrong to the' amount of JLL Is. 5d.. which is the total error in the entiy. Samuel Brown stated that he is a General Merchant in Auckland, and the two bales of paper entered by the defendant were his property ; defendant was merely hifi Custom-house agent in the matter ; when the entry was passed he had not received his invoices ; be expected two bales of paper to arrive of 3 or 4 cwt. each, which was the instruction he gave, to defendant ; lie gave him a quantity of other -things to enter, but told him to go to the Custom-house and examine the cocket, to ascertain the true weight of the paper; he returned and said to witness that there was no weight on the cocket, but only two bales mentioned ; instructed defendant to enter them at 4cwt. each, believing that would be rather more than the weight of them ; he felt inclined at first to pass a sight entry, but he should have had to pay 3s. 6d. for it, besides double cartage of the paper, so he preferred paying more than lie thought the duty would come to on the real weight rather than go to this expense. Judgment deferred till Tuesday.