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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4939, 20 January 1877, Page 2

Frequently we hear of the evil effects of laches caused by hurried legislation in New Zealand; but it seems New Zealand is no worse than its.. neighbors in this respect, if such a fact may be pleaded in extenuation. In New South Wales ' some months ago the revenue lost several tens of thousands of pounds owing to an informality in relation to-the passing of a Stamp Act; but that was nothing to.what has recently occurred in Tasmania, a colony which has somewhat distinguished;itself! for legislative blunders. It seemtfthe Parliament of Tasmania in its wisdom last session thought fit to amend its jury laws, and a new Jury Act was passed. One of the clauses repealed the Act in existence, and in sweeping the law away the whole of the qualifications of jurors were swept away. New qualifications were created under certain sections, and new disqualifications under certain other sections, and an' express direction given that names of persons so disqualified should not be inserted in the jury list One section of-the Act runs as follows “ All • criminal issues , joined in the Supreme Court or. in any Court of General Sessions shall be tried by a jury, _ consisting of -twelve men, qualified as jurors according to this Act; “ and the expression “ qualified ”, can ' only relate to the new sections; for all the previous qualifications have’ been entirely swept away. The Act does not come into force till next July, and upon the, Ist of that month the Superintendent of Police for each district has to be served with a precept to make out before the Ist of the following September “ a true list of men qualified and liable to serve on ( juries-according to this Act.”... Then there must bo courts to revise the rolls. So that the Act cannot really be of any effect till November, 1877. The consequence has been that at a sitting of the Supreme Court in its criminal jurisdiction, held at Launceston a fortnight since, a barrister, who had been retained by several prisoners, raised the point as to whether there could be any trials. The | Chief Justice, whe presided, Sustained the objection; and in giving' judgment said : i“This is no mere technical objection except |so far 1 as : every objection which is, based on, ‘the definition of rules of law may be alleged ■tobe a technical objection. But it is a very i serious objection, because if a jury cannot be iemphnnelled according to law, what is the 'difference between ,the men now summoned land a vigilance committee? A vigilance ! committee may be composed of . men as well ■ qualified as the judge and jury to investigate ‘charges of guilt; they may come to,as correct n coriolusion as a judge and jury, and yet i everyone, understands the difference between Lynch law and the administration of justice according to the law of the land. As I entertain too, serious doubts whether a jury can be lawfully and legally erapanuelled, on the objection laid before me by Mr. Miller, I certainly feel it my duty to abstain from what ‘may not improbably be the solemn mockery of a pretended, trial,” Eight prisoners were then arraigned, two of whom pleaded guilty 'and were sentenced; and the'other six, most of them charged with very serious offences, were discharged, the Attorney-General entering a nolle’prosequi in each case. The criminal law :of' the colonj is thus thrown out of gear for a i whole twelve-month, and persons who may : happen to be committed for trial must suffer imprisonment first and . take their trial afterwards. :An Auckland telegram announces that Mr. Broomhall has completed the purchase of a quantity of land in Auckland; The terms and i conditions are pretty much as follows : —The ' total area purchased is 45,700 acres, for a | sum of £22,850; that . one-fifth'of such total \ area of 45,700 acres shall be put under culti- ‘ vation, one acre of drained swamp to be reckoned as equal to two acres of cultivated land ; that sufficient land be set apart to provide for_ common school education for the population introduced, reserves to be placed in trust for the purposes intendel; that Mr. Broomhall shall erect not less tlan 150 houses of weatherboards : or other more permanent materials,, each house to contain not less than three rooms, to be', of not less value than £6O ; that Mr. Broomhall shall bring out and place on the land 610 adult , immigrants of 18 years of age or upward) (two persons under 18 years of age to reckon as one adult immigrant); that as a guarantee for the due fulfilment of these conditions, £11,425 shall be invested as a deposit in New Zealand four and a half per cent, bonds, on the understanding that the coupons shall not le detached ; that the purchasemoney, £22850, be paid to the Agent-General in London m or before the 30th June, 1877, in

lieu of the Receiver of Land Revenue in Auckland on or before the Ist February, 1877 ; that on receipt by the Agent-General in London of £22,850 in cash and £11,425 in New Zealand four and a half per cent, bonds, he telegraph the Government of the receipt, when the Grown grant, reserving all precious metals and containing the usual covenants to lay out roads, shall be prepared and delivered to the manager of the Bank of New-Zealand in Auckland on the purchaser’s account. The Registrar-General’s report on the vital statistics of the boroughs.of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hokitika during the month of December, 1876, is published. The following table shows the number of births and deaths, and the proportion of deaths to population :

The deaths of persons not residents of the boroughs, occurring at hospitals, have been excluded. The births were 22 less than in November. The deaths were 32 more in num-. ber than the deaths in November.- Of the. deaths, males contributed 66 ; females, 72 : 69 of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 50 per cent, of the whale number, and 52 of these were of children under 1 year of age. There were 6 deaths of persons of 66 years of age and over : 7 of these persons were males and 4 females—of these, 2 males aged 69 and 85 died at Auckland, 1 female aged 68 at Wellington, 1 male aged 78 and 1 female aged 70 at Nelson, 2 males aged 65 and 68 and 2 females aged 70 and 73 at Christchurch, and 2 males aged 66 and 70 at Dunedin., The quantities of gold exported from the colony for the year 1876, as compared with the export for 1875, are as follows :—From Auckland the number of ounces was 70,075, value £277,767; against 69,4850z5., value £262,156 for the year 1875. Picton, 4500z5., £1796 ; against 1159 ozs., £4636. Nelson, 68120z5., £26,387 ; against 45770z5., £17,866. Westport, 21,774 ozs., £87,175 ; against 23,4480z5., £93,877. Greyraouth, 68,9410z5., £275,765 ; against 89,0920z5., £357,048. Hokitika, 35,4870z5., £141,947; against 46,1380z5., £184,555. Dunedin, 108,9630z5., £435,278 ; against 115,442 ozs., £463,461. Invercargill, 95240z5., £38,213; against 59810z5., £24,171. Total for 1876, 322,0160z5., of the value of £1,284,326; against 855,3220z5., value £1,407,770, for 1876. The total quantity entered for exportation from the colony to the 30th December, 1876, is stated at 8,277,3110z5„ valued at £32,269,114.

Boroughs. Estimated Popula tion. Dec. 1,1870. | Total 1 | Births, j i Total | Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to 1000 of Population. Auckland .. 13,427 41 20 1*49 Thames 8,489 14 4 ■47 Wellington.. 11,091 34 2*91 Nelson 6,098 21 7 1-17 Christchurch 11,036 48 21 1*90 Dunedin 20,080 n 44 219 Hokitika .. 8,555 15 8 2*25 Totals .; 274 138