TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4991, 22 March 1877, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(mi PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Wednesday, ; AtOnehunga to-day, Grant, a schoolmaster, was charged with assaulting Robert Vause, aged fourteen. The magistrate held some degree of punishment necessary, and dismissed the case., A trial of the waterworks machinery is now proceeding. In the case of McGrath, charged with a brutal assault on his wife, at the court to-day Inspector Pardy stated that the woman was extremely ill, and if erysipelas should set in death was certain. The prisoner was remanded, and bail was refused, j At the Supreme Court to-day, in the appeal case Badham versus Hill,' Collector of Customs, the appeal was against a conviction by theR.M., with a fine of £IOO, mitigated to £25, for making a false declaration. Hesketh, for the appellant, raised the objection that the proceedings were taken under the Customs Tariff'Act, 1858,’ which was repealed by the Act of 1873. It was admitted that the declarationhad not been proved to bewilfullyfalse, and counsel therefore contended that proof of intent was necessaryalso that the declaration had not been proved to be false, in fact inasmuch as it' did not state , that it included all the goods mentioned in the invoice and contained in packages, the words of the Act of 1873 being, “ mentioned in invoice and contained in entry.": It was contended also that the R.M. acted wrongly in refusing to admit the defendant’s evidence. The AttorneyGeneral, for respondent, in reply contended

that the Appeal from Justices of the Peace Act, 1867, provided there should be no appeal on the ground of improper admission or rejection of evidence ; also that the Acta of 1858 arid 1873 were accumulative, one dealing with cases of misstatement,in declaration, and; the other with willfully false declarations. The Judge held that the fact of false entry was sufficient proof of, intent, actual knowledge of falseness not being necessary. He took time to consider whether section 135 of the Act of 1858 was applicable to tho Act of 1873, but was quite clear that the two statutes could be read together. Greytown, Wednesday.

A cottage, ■ occupied by W. R. Thompson, in Main-street, Greytown, was burnt down last night. The loss is, estimated at about £2OO, while the insurance amounted only to £75. The occurrence created a great deal of excitement in the neighborhood, as the surrounding properties, which are of, considerable value, were in danger, but were saved by the absence of wind.

A large meeting was held in Greytown last night re the railway route, Mr. J. Tully being in the chair. Resolutions were passed thanking the late deputation and appointing a standing committee, which includes the names of Duncan and Martin. A subscription list has been opened to cover the expenses of a sub-com-mittee to inspect the various lines to-morrow, preparatory to the visit of the Government engineer. Picton, Wednesday. The Government buildings with all their contents were destroyed by tire yesterday evening. The supposed 'cause of the accident was by men repairing the roof. The buildings were not insured. The inquiry will be held to-day. Christchurch, Wednesday. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, the civil case,, R. Donkin v. Pooley (the English cricketer) and Bramhall, for £9B damages for the destruction of clothing and plans by the defendants, was adjourned, at the request of the counsel for the defence, to enable an important witness to arrive from Melbourne. It is said that this witness can prove that it was not Pooley or Bramhall who destroyed the plans and clothing. Mr. J. F. Fisher, M.H R., addressed the electors in the Heathcote district last night. The speech was merely a residue of the business done last session. A vote of thanks and confidence was unanimously carried. Dunedin, Wednesday. Christina Clark was tried at Lawrence yesterday for the wilful murder of her child. A verdict of not guilty was returned. Mr. Mansford, 8.M., gave judgment this morning in Pearson v. Fever Hospital. He held that defendant was guilty of neglect, by not providing sufficient nurses, and awarded plaintiff nominal damages. M The attorneys for Mrs. Oats have seized legal notice on the Waste Lands Boards/this morning, against proceeding with the Maclaggan-street quarries, until her claim under the New Zealand Company's land order, 1837, be satisfied. The quarry reserve contains the only sections over which she can exercise her rights. At the Waste Lands Boards there was a long discussion on the subject re leasing. The policy of the Board is to cut them up into much smaller areas than formerly. The Fever Hospital is to be removed and probably abolished. Balolutha, Wednesday.

Mr. Carew, Resident Magistrate, sitting in the Assessment Court to-day, found the valuation list for Ealclutha informal, and could not deal with it. He intimated that if the Town Council would nominate valuers, he would appoint them next Court day, under the twenty-eighth clause of the Eating Act. There were a large number .of appeals, but none could he heard in consequence of- the informality of the roll.