SUPREME COURT. Sept. 2, 1850. Before Mr. Justice Chapman.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 531, 4 September 1850, Page 3

SUPREME COURT. Sept. 2, 1850. Before Mr. Justice Chapman.

Thb Court was opened with the usual forms for the trial of prisoners. The following was the only case for trial :— George Contin, John Copesteak,' William Conolly, and Peter Lavory, privates 65th regiment, were indicted for stealing from George Haigh a purse containing about twenty-five shillings. The Attorney-General conducted the prosecution ; Mr. King was engaged for the defence. From the evidence it appeared that the prosecutor and prisoners were drinking together at apublic-house called the Rising Sun on the 17th of July, when he was attacked by the prisoners, who took away his .purse. ,cojataining.a crown piece, three halfcrownsj and several shillings. The prosecutor was positive that Contin and Conolly were concerned in the attack on him, but could not swear to the other two prisoners; he admitted he was intoxicated at the time, but was not so drunk as not to know what occurred. The evidence of Dunn, a private, andM'Donnell, a serjeant, in the same regiment, went to show that the prisoners had served several years, and had borne a good character. The Jury returned a- vet diet of not guilty. The Grand Jury, by their foreman Mr. Fox, made a presentment of a house on Wellington-terrace,bythe Kumutoto stream, in the occupation of Maories, as a house of resort for improper characters, and a nuisance ; they also presented the state of the ferries at Wairarapa, Rangitikei, and other rivers along the coast ; the present state of the gaol at Wellington, arid the urgent necessity which existed for a new building ; and the present state of the beach road along Lambton-quay. His Honor, on receiving the presentment, stated that measures would be taken to remove the nuisance complained of; that on the second point' (the ferries) he would take care to lay before his Excellency the Lieutenant-Gover- ' nor their representations ; that on the third point (the gaol) he had, an several previous occasions" when similar presentments • had been made,' taken occasion to press this subject on the consideration of the Lieute-nant-Governor, who appeared to be as fully sensible of its importance as the members of the Grand Jury ; and the impression on his (Mr. Justice Chapman's) mind from the conversations he had had with his Excellency was that on the next meeting of the Legislative Council of this Province, whenever that should take place, a measure would be brought before them for promoting this object. With regard to the state of the beach road his Honor observed it might be presented as a nuisance, but it was not in his province to state from what fund it should be repaired.