TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4382, 6 April 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[Per Press Agency.] • Auckland, Monday. The criminal sessions began this morning. Mr. Justice Gillies took his seat for the first time on the Auckland Bench. Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of the members of the Bar, made a short speech congratulating his Honor on his accession to the dignity. His charge to the Grand Jury was very short. He congratulated them that, though the cases wore numerous, they were all light. There was no matter of law on which he need direct them. A remarkable fact was that not one of the newly-arrived immigrants was charged, giving a satisfactory promise for the future of the colony. A large proportion of the prisoners were educated men. Cases of larceny preponderated, and, as usual, there were several cases of forgery and uttering. He thought it extraordinary that men should commit grave criminal offences to release themselves from debts which were so easily cancelled. Several old offenders figured again, which suggested grave questions to the Legislature. Ho concluded by calling attention to the nature of the duties of the Grand Jury. Richard Eino, on two charges of forgery and uttering, was sentenced for the first offence to twelve months, and the second six months. He pleaded not guilty. E. O. Leggett, charged with stealing a cheque for £SO, the property of the Provincial Government, pleaded guilty. Charles Roskruge and M. O’Rorke gave evidence as to good character. The accused was sentenced to two year’s imprisonment. At the Supreme Court, to-day, Edmund Percy Brett, a naval officer, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment for obtaining money on false pretences. Henry Pettit, charged with assault with intent to rob one Mrs. Cornford, of Napier, was sentenced to twelve mouths ; and William Wilkinson, for arson at the Thames, to three yeai-s. • The body of William Hancock, mate of the brig Derwent, has been found on the beach. Ho had accidentally fallen into the harbor. The Court gave judgment in the inquiry as to the loss of the steamer Pretty Jane, at Poverty Bay. It was of opinion that the stranding was caused by the pilot’s imprudence and lack of skill. They also censured James Carey, the chief officer, for taking the vessel out without the captain’s orders, and censured Thomas Fernandez, the captain, for absenting himself without any reason. The Court suspended the captain’s certificate for throe months. Gkatiamstown, Monday. The following gold was lodged on Saturday night;—Alburnia, 1570za.; Queen of May, 1360z5. lOdwts,; Queen .of Beauty, 7'J7ozs. The number of deaths registered in the Thames district for the quarter ended 31st March was 58, as follows :—January, 10 ; February, 23 ; March, 25. During February and March, 19 deaths (each mouth) were those of infants. The births for the quarter were 127. The doatli of Wi Katene, chief of the TJriweras, is announced. Tenders are called for the removal of the Flora Macdonald battery (30 stampers) from Tararu Crock to Golge, at Ohinemuri. It is believed that this plant is for a prospector’s claim. It is said that 500 new claims to be placed on the electoral roll have been sent to the Registration officer for the Thames district. Masterton, Monday. E. Fiest’s store, at the Forty-Mile Bush, was burned down on Saturday night. Nothing was saved.

Napiek, Monday. The City Council has elected Mr. N. Bowen Town Clerk, in room of W. K. McLean, resigned. The salary is raised to £250. A fatal accident has occurred, by which a native boy, aged sixteen, was thrown off a cart on which he was riding, the wheel passing over his head, causing instantaneous death. There is a great want of rain, and the wells are getting dry in the town. Complaints come from the country, of the grass on the sheep runs being dried up, and there will be a fear of scarcity of feed next winter. Christchdbch, Monday. Justice Williams, in his charge to the Grand Jury to-day, referring to the frequent occurrence of forgery, said ignorance was the parent of many crime?, but frauds required a certain amount of education to perpetrate successfully. As education was more widely diffused it might reasonably be expected that crimes of violence would diminish, but it would be unfortunate if crimes of fraud increased. Noble efforts were being made to promote education ; but education, to be complete, must develope moral sentiments as well as intellectual powers. Children should be'taught to admire what is noble aud generous and detest what is mean. We must, in fact, look to the education of the emotions as well as to the mechanical acquirement of knowledge if we wish to reap the full benefits of education as a preventative of crime. The following cases were then disposed of ; —Phillip Green, burglary and larceny, five years; Alex. Le Bas, forgery and uttering, sentence deferred; Fred. K. Cooper, forgery, sentence deferred ; Frank William Turner, larceny as a bailee, twelve months ; John Montgomery, burglary and larceny, twelve months. The trial of the Lyttelton murder case is fixed for Friday. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened this morning. The calendar comprised fifteen cases, and includes the Lyttelton murder, one of burglary, and several cases of forgery, aud assault with intent. The funeral of J. C. Watts Russell, who was one of the first settlers, took place yesterday, and was very largely attended. The pallbearers were—Sir Cracroft Wilson, the Very Kev. the Dean of Christchurch, Justice Gresson, and J. W. Hamilton. The funeral service was conducted by the Primate of New Zealand.

Dunedin, Monday.

Last October a man named Grant, who makes a living here by hawicing his pamphlets, containing scurrilous articles on anybody and everything, addressed a letter to the “ people’s paper,” Dundee, containing a tissue of lies and abuse about New Zealand, its climate, prospects, and progress, and condemning the immigration system. Mr*. J ames Adams, the Otago Immigration Agent, replied to it in a Dundee paper, and the Times this morning publishes a letter from Mr. Adams, in which he states that the credibility of the writer (Grant) may be inferred when he says, “that for nineteen years he'has spent annually £IOOO in the diffusion of knowledge throughout the land whereas a subscription had to be got up for the poor man to help him back to Melbourne where he came from. He went so far, and then returned to Dunedin, and has ever since lived a miserable existence in publishing a low paper-, in which he rails at public institutions, and specially at those gentlemen who have shown him the greatest kindness and forbearance. So far from spending a £IOOO yearly, his family would have starved but for the industry of his -wife, who has had to keep herself by washing the clothes of the very persons he assumes to have educated. Mr. Adams’s letter has given great satisfaction .in Dunedin, and is considered not too strong.

“An old Otago Miner,” writing from Cooktown to the evening papers on the Palmergoldfields, says : —“ I left New Zealand last September, with a number of others, filled with, high expectations, raised by exaggerated accounts published, of making a rise in-this country, but can only report up to present time ignominous failure. Let me caution any Otago men who may be meditating coming here to reflect well before they start. The road to the Palmer and here is dotted with graves of men, a large proportion of whom were New Zealanders, who were strong, and able to do the work of horses, but who had to succumb to the hardships of Northern Queensland. The majority of them started on their respective journeys totally unequipped, and with heavy swags and empty pockets were unable to procure proper food, without which a man cannot work hbre, and have paid the penalty of their rashness.”

The Star, in a leader on the Ocean Beach railway, remarks ; —“ There are those who see political indications in this petty affair; they maintain that it is Centralism v. Provincialism, Blind as the Colonial Ministry may be as to effect on the public mind of such transactions as the Porbury muddle, they are not sufficiently stupid to out their own throats by such an old way of parading the blessings of centralism. We look upon the origin of it as really more of a departmental squabble than anything else, although it is by no means improbable that the root of the matter lies even deeper than that, and must be sought fsr iu some fancied division of interest among the people of Dunedin.”

Judge Gray, better known as Wilson Gray, died at noon yesterday, at Lawrence, Ho was born in 1813, arrived in Dunedin in 1862, remained two years on the Barrister’s roll of the Supreme Court, and then accepted office as District J udge. He was universally respected, and died without leaving an enemy. The Times, in a four-column article, publishes a sketch of his career, private and judicial. The funeral takes place to-morrow, in Dunedin, and will be numerously attended. His death has cast quite a gloom over the city. Judge Gray’s funeral will be attended tomorrow by the Mayor of the city and the Councillors, the Superintendent, the Provincial Executive, the members of the General Assembly, the Judges and members of the legal profession, the magistrates, the goldfields wardens and officials, and representatives of all the professions and trades, the mounted troopers, and the foot-police and volunteers. The Mayor appeals to the citizens to close their places of business while the procession passes, and the provincial offices will close at one o’clock. The remains will be carried to the South Dunedin cemetery. Mr. J. P. Armstrong, M.P.0., has been requisitioned to stand for Waikouaiti, for the Assembly.

Westport, Monday: Weights for 70 sova. stakes :—Yatterina, lOst. ; Sandy, Bst. 81bs. ; Tommy Dodd, Sst. ‘libs, ; Magenta, Sst. ; Jasper, 7st. 71bs. ; Jackey, 7st. ; Whynot, 6st. 101bs, ; Luna, Gat. 71bs.

Entries for the Westport races on Thursday : —Trial ’ Stakes : Kingfisher, Magenta, Sandy, Jasper, Luna; Lilly, Jaolcoy, and Whynot; Railway Plate: Tommy Dodd, atterina, Kingfisher, Magenta, Sandy, Jasper, Luna, Lily, Jackey, and Whynot.