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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5324, 20 April 1878, Page 2

<£ A Court of Justice,” according to Cicero, “is a place very honorable to plead in';” but it may be doubted whether, if the old Roman were alive now, he would say the same of our local Law Courts. There is one member of the legal profession here who certainly is doing his best to make a bear garden of the Supreme Court, and he has lately turned his attention to the: inferior tribunal presided over by the Resident Magistrate. The effect of his action must be in the minds of the public to cause them to have a low estimate of the manner in which justice according to law is administered hero, which is certainly not desirable. . If abuses do exist, and if Judges, Resident Magistrates, and officials are as venal as the learned gentleman referred to says or implies that they are, it is high time that something were done to inaugurate a bettor system; and if, on the other hand, the subject matter of this learned grievance-monger’s orations has little or no foundation, the sooner something is done to turn the tables on him the better. When Parliament next meets, which it shortly will ' do, it is , probable that . some one will move, in the matter, and a select committee will 1 probably be appointed to inquire into the charges he has made. These include accusations against a number of legal officials hero, from the highest to the lowest, beginning with, the Chief Justice and Mr. Justice. Richmond, and descending gradually to Policeman X, who is stated to have brutally ill-treated prisoners at the lookup by kicking and boating them when handcuffed. As regards this latter affair, it ought at once to be sifted to the

bottom, and the parties who were so kicked and beaten,'if they exist, ought to be made to come forward, if they-will not voluntarily do so, and state the facts of .the case. The Government has taken some cognisance of. this matter,-and -it has already been'refefred' to the Inspector of Police, who, as our readers may remember, recently made inquiries, and had all the men under him interrogated on the subject, when; one and all denied the slightest knowledge of any such occurrence having taken place. , It is possible, of course, that nevertheless it may have taken place, and as we have said, the injured parties, if they are in the flesh, should .unhesitatingly come forth and make what the Old Bailey lawyers call “a clean breast of it.” As regards the charges made against the Judges, if those charges are true their Honors are certainly unfit to occupy seats on the bench ; but, until the vague accusations against them are proved we certainly shall hesitate to give credence to such apparently unfounded statements. It is the duty, however, of the accuser to go further than make bare assertions. He ought to prove what ho says, or retract it as incapable of proof. The course of justice cannot go on satisfactorily any longer until it is shown to demonstration that the charges made against the administrators of the law. by a leading practitioner in Court are with or without foundation, in either of which cases, we apprehend, a remedy will be found. Our learned friend has addressed a very singular epistle to the Minister of Justice, in which the former declines to make definite and specific charges against any of the officers of the Eeaident Magistrate’s Court. After hurling accusations o - fliam 110 uonr \j\J substantiate them ; but from his letter, a copy of which appears in another column, it does not seem that he retracts them. One course or the other he ought certainly to adopt, indeed, we will go so far as to say ought to be compelled to adopt, if he will not do it of his own free will.

A few days ago we referred to the urgent necessity that existed for preventing the continuance of the practice of discharging the contents of water closets into street drains, and urged the Inspector of Nuisances to make an example of some of those who offended in this way. We believe that the Inspector has cautioned many persons to stop various infringements of the by-laws, and they have promised to be more cleanly in the future. At the last meeting of the City Council his report referred to some cases of disgusting nastiness in To Aro, which had resulted in at least one case of typhoid fever. He stated that notice had been given to the parties to abate the nuisance. No doubt this course will accomplish the end sought,—that is, the removal of the nuisance ; but why should not these dirty creatures be punished ? Why should not they be summoned to the Court, their lack of cleanliness exposed, and their offence punished by a heavy fine ? The old saying that prevention is better than cure applies here, because if people of mean and dirty habits believe that they can offend against the good sanitary condition of the city until they are found out, and that then they will only be cautioned, they will pursue their evil ways. If a few of the worst cases were brought under the review of the Resident Magistrate, and severe fines were inflicted, other persons would profit by the example, and would grow cleanly without waiting until they were pounced upon by the Inspector. It is curious, but it seems to be the rule, that inspectors in all cities regard an offence against the by-laws regulating public conveyances as more deserving of punishment than the pollution of street drains, creeks, and water channels by making them receptacles of all sorts of filth. Inspector Johnson has very properly determined to issue Summonses against a number of cabmen who have persisted in breaking the by-laws by which they should be controlled; but it would be well if he would commence a crusade in the cause of health, and give no quarter to offenders .against cleanliness and decency. The wretched state of the drains owing to the want of water for flushing them renders it imperative that they should not be polluted, more than is absolutely necessary, and regard for the public health demands that the most stringent steps should be taken to punish those who refuse to obey the sanitary bylaws.

It will be seen from the report of the proceedings of the City Council last Thursday evening that the Finance Committee brought up a report which was unanimously adopted. It contained two very important recommendations. The first, that advantage should be taken of Mr. Clark’s presence in Wellington to obtain from him advice as to the best means to be taken for increasing the supply of water. There is a general impression current that, from some uuknown cause, there is a considerable waste of water going on. Some think that the supply is intercepted before it reaches the dam or dams; percolation may be going on to a greater extent than was calculated upon, and the water may be diverted by obstacles which might be removed if a proper investigation were made. It is very evident that some plan must be devised for supplying au ample, indeed, we might almost say an unlimited supply. It is a necessary adjunct to Mr. Clark’s drainage scheme, and no matter how scientifically that gentleman may arrange to dispose of the sewage, unless there is plenty of water available it will never prove a success. Judging from what Mr. Clark said at the Club dinner he will have to remain for some time in Wellington, waiting until the plans he has ordered to be prepared can be got ready. It seems to us that his time could not be better employed than looking into and considering this necessary question of water supply, and we trust the Mayor has already conferred with him on the subject and arranged the matter. The second recommendation in the report was that steps should be taken to bring’uuder the notice of the General Government the importance of requesting Sir John Coode, on his arrival in Wellington, to examine and report upon the bestmeansforimprovingthe facilities for discharging and loading cargo in the harbor of Port Nicholson. It was pointed out that although there could be no doubt that Wellington possesses advantages over most of the ports in the colony, still its trade was increasing immensely, and enlarged wharf accommodation was an absolute necessity, and must be provided. It was stated that iu all probability it would be necessary to apply to the Legislature for power to raise a loan to enable the Te Aro reclamation scheme to be carried out; and that in this matter Sir John Coode would be able to give valuable advice, and decide whether the plan proposed was the best that could be devised.

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 March last, are published in the N. Z. Gazette of Thursday. The total number of births was 297, and of deaths 116,, distributed amongst the several boroughs as follows :

The . births registered during March were two mure than in February, and; ,the deaths thirtyseven more. , Of the deaths, males contributed, 67, females 47. Sixty-one of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 52:68 per cent of the whole number : 51 of these were of children under one year of age. Thera were five deaths of persons over sixty-five

years of age : four of these were males, and one female : one male of 72 died at Well’ngton ; one male of 77 at Nelson ; one male of 74 and 1 female of 70 at Christchurch, and one male of 68 at Dunedin. When compared with the returns of the previous month, it appears that there were more deaths at the towns of Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hokitika in March thau in February. At Auckland the deaths fell from 19 in February to 13 last mouth. Scarlet fever reappeared as a cause of death at Nelson in March. Deaths from fever took place at Wellington, Nelson, and Christchurch in March, there having been none during the previous month. The mortality from whooping cough at all towns decreased from 8 deaths in February to 4 in March. These 4 deaths were at Nelson. The accidental deaths in March numbered 10. A death occurred from a fall on to a billiard table, a child was killed by burns after her clothes catching fire, 6 persons were accidentally drowned, a warehouseman was killed by injury to his spine, a child was suffocated in bed. In March, 1877, there were 125 deaths in the boroughs. Scarlatina caused 20 of these ; 10 at Dunedin, and 10 at Hokitika. This caused a very high death-rate at those towns, as compared with the rate for March, 1878. ,

We understand that the annual report of the directors of the Wellington Patent Slip Company (Limited) is likely to be presented to the shareholders in the course of a few days. We have reason to believe that it will be of a satisfactory character. It will show that a larger number of vessels and a greatly increased amount of tonnage has been taken on the Slip than in any previou year; (hat the income has been higher and the expenditure reduced. It will state that the vessel built by the company has been sold, and explain that the experiment tried, of constructing vessels by the workmen employed by the company during slack times, when their services were not required at the Slip, has not proved euGOufagliig, »hu will not be repeated. The company will, however, be prepared to undertake to build vessels to order of any size. The report will conclude by recommending the shareholders to authorise the payment of a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum as soon as the subsidy has been received from the General Government.

The return of the Customs revenue at the several ports of New Zealand during the quarter ended 31st March, 1878, are published in a Gazette of Thursday last, and are of a satisfactory character The total revenue during that period is set down at £359,023, and for the corresponding quarter of 1877 at £298,039. The returns at the undermentioned ports are as follows :— :

It was generally anticipated that there would have been a lively debate in the City Council on Thursday evening, when Mr. Fisher moved that the various banking institution be invited to tender for the city banking accounts for the next three years. But greatly to that gentleman’s disgust there was no discussion. The motion was proposed in rather a longwinded speech made up of vague generalities and rash assertions. Mr, Usher had to refer very frequently to his notes, and spoke like one who had been prompted by a person who thought he knew a great deal about banking matters; but the impression conveyed through Mr. Fisher second-hand was that he must be of a verdant or green temperament. Mr. Fisher found some difficulty in getting a seconder for his motion. When put 10 were declared against it and 2 in its favor. The reason is easily explained, Xt was known to every member of the Council that this question had in effect been remitted to the Finance Committee, and we entertain no doubt that any recommendation made by this body will be carried out. Councillor Allan’s absurd motion relative to the Te Aro reclamation met with no seconder, and therefore fell to the ground. The effect of opening up this question again would have been most mischevious.

A memorandum from the Telegraph:Department, dated Thursday, states that telegraph communication on the Port Darwin line is interrupted at Charlotte Waters, about 800 miles from Adelaide.

Sir George Grey’s return to Wellington has been delayed, and we believe he intends to address a public meeting at Blenheim this evening.

The Hon. James Macandrew, Minister of Public Works, was a passenger by the Rotorua, which left here yesterday for the South.

In another column will be found an extraordinary letter from Mr. G. 11. Barton, M.H.R., to the Hon. the Minister of Justice, anent the s charges made by Mr. Barton when addressing the electors recently. Yesterday being Hood Friday special services were held in the various places of worship in Wellington (morning and evening), and sermons were preached appropriate to the day. We believe that Mrs. Dransfield, wife of his Worship the Mayor, has consented to present the prizes at' the sports of the Amateur Athletic Club to be held on Easter Monday. A very important decision, largely affecting persons holding shares in mining companies, was given in the Supreme Court on Thursday, in the case of Seaton, appellant, and Lloyd, liquidator of the Halcyon Quartz Mining Company, Limited, respondent. The judgment appears in another column. At the sitting of the Bankruptcy Court on Thursday a certificate of discharge was granted to George Carrington on an application made by Mr. Edwards. An application to the Court for the confirmation of a resolution passed at a meeting of the creditors of J. T. Love, agreeing to accept a composition of 7s. fid. in the £, and to allow the bankrupt his discharge, was, on the application of Mr. Edwards, granted.

The want of sufficient hotel accommodation, in the proper sense of the words, in Wellington has so frequently been complained of, and has so often formed the subject of discussion at our Quarterly Licensing Courts, that it is a pleasant duty to be able to chronicle anything which may have the tendency to lessen those complaints, and to provide increased accommodation for the large number of visitors who come to our city. We have much pleasure, therefore, iu noting the fact that Mr. Tafner has litely made a considerable enlargment to his Temperance Hotel in Cuba-street, by the addition of sixteen bedrooms, which makes the hotel one of the most commodious here.' There are about thirty-two bedrooms altogether, a drawing-room, parlor, and bathroom l fitted up with hot and cold water, upstairs; a spacious dining-room on the ground floor, capable of seating over fifty persons c.l table, to which is attached a dining-room for ladies. At the rear of the hotel stands a cottage, which Mr. Tafner has converted into bedrooms, with a parlor attached for the use of boarders iu that portion of the building. There can be but little doubt that Mr. Tafner will be sufficiently rewarded for his spirited enterprise, as the growth of the city is so rapid, and the influx of travellers so large, that it will be found that all the available hotel accommodation will still be insufficient to meet the large demands upon it. The accommodation for the legal profession at the Resident, Magistrate’s Court is none of the best, especially the chairs. On Thursday an elderly member of the Bar took his seat as usual at the table. He had scarcely got seated when he, suddenly disappeared from view—the chair collapsed and the legal gentleman fell with a. crash on the 1 floor, sur-. rounded with the rungs and othei; parts of the broken furniture. After extricating, himself he was found to be unhurt. - The' fragments were then carefully collected by the bailiff, and no doubt put In'» place of safety. ■

Mr. Colin McDonald, the contractor for the road to Kilbirnie, has commenced work. Should the weather keep fine the contract will be rapidly completed, and a pleasant walk and drive for the citizens will be provided.

Workmen are engaged in constructing the tramway in Cuba-street at the intersection of Ghuzuee-street. The rails were not laid here at the time the line was put down on the rest of the street, in consequence of the construe* tiou of the new brick culvert being then in progress.

Considerable alarm was, caused yesterday morning to the residents in a part of Major!-banks-street in consequence of some children having' set fire to the gorse on the hill side. For a time it burnt fiercely, but the flames were extinguished before any damage to property was done.

The soiree in connection with the Lower Hutt Wesleyan Methodist Church took pla cent the Lower Hutt yesterday, and proved in every way a great success. A large number of persons from Wellington attended the soiree, and returned home again by the 7.30 train. A man named Hugh Rogers had bis collar* bone badly broken on Saturday evening by a fall from a horse. Rogers, who is in the employ of Mr. McDonald, baker, Mannersstreet, got on a spirited horse without saddling it. The result was a very determined bolt, and the rider was thrown with great violence in Herbert-street. The bone, which was broken in at least two places, was set by Dr. Harding,

As the new schooner Poneke was sailing out past the wharf on Thursday morning, bound for Kaipara, owing to a sudden shift of wind she was driven down upon the extension works at the end of the outer T. A portion of her gear catching one of the beams on which the pile-driver and working-stage were erected caused the whole lot to capsize. The piledriver came down with great force on to the contractor’s boat, staving it in, and the heavy monkey was thrown on to a pontoon which was lying alongside. The schooner escaped uninjured ; but unfortunately one of the men belonging to her named Henry Lawson, who had jumped into the contractor’s boat, was knocked into the water when the pile-driver fell upon it, and being unable to swim, besides being stunned by the shook, he would have been drowned had not a few of the bystanders hauled him ashore. He was subsequently conveyed to the Hospital, and remained unconscious there for some time, but towards evening he had so far recovered as to be able to leave the Hospital The pile-driver was taken up on the wharf during the day, repaired, and placed in its former position, It will be seen from our advertising columns that anniversary services in connection with the Dixon-street Wesleyan Sunday school will be held to-morrow. Those who attend will have an opportunity of hearing the Rev. J. W. Williams, successor to the Rev. H. R. Dewsbury. On Tuesday evening there will be a tea meeting, in the Dixon-street schoolroom, and afterwards a public meeting in the Mannerstreet church, when addresses will be delivered by ministers and friends. The old saying “Will you buy a watch was very forcibly illustrated in the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thursday during the hearing of a case Johnson v. Warshaw. The plaintiff sought to recover £4 10s., the value of a watch which he purchased from the defendant. It appeared from the evidence that the plaintiff saw what he considered a goodlooking watch in defendant’s shop. After examining it he became the owner of it by giving bis own watch and 30s. to boot. The new article soon proved to be very erratic in its movements, and indulged in sundry little peculiar eccentricities, such as making a sudden jump of three hours and then stopping altogether. Johnson stood this for half a day, and then called on Warshaw requesting the return of his own watch. This of course was objected to, and , the plaintiff sued him for the recovery. . One witness—an expert—stated that the erratic watch was worth nothing as a time-keeper ; the case might probably be worth half-a-crown. The same witness also stated that such articles were not sold by the trade. When Johnson buys a watch again he will probably be more cautious. The defendant was ordered to return plaintiff his watch together with the 305., or £4 10s., and costs.

The annual cricket match between the Wellington. College and the Nelson College will take place on Tuesday next on the Basin Reserve, commencing at 10 a.m. sharp. The Nelson team will come here by the s.s. Charles Edward, and are expected here by Sunday morning. A charge of Is. will be made at the gates. The Nelson team is as follows: — Barhicoat, Firth, Greenfield, Bout, Sharp, Seymour, Vickerman, Boddington (2), Fleming, and Harvey. The Wellington team—Martin, Morrah (2), Leckie, Cooper, Taylor, Snow, Luxford, Barnett, Dransfield, Jackson ; scorer, H.B. Kirk.

A collision occurred in port on Thursday morning between the ketch Reliance and barque Lanarkshire, in which the former lost her mizzenmast and maintopmast aud the

latter her jibboom. Captain Swede, of the Reliance, states that between two and three o’clock on Thursday morning he left the breastwork for Castlepoint, with a full cargo on board and six passenger's, and had just weathered all the vessels lying at the wharf, including the Lanarkshire, when he found his vessel suddenly brought to a standstill. Not knowing what could possibly be the matter, he endeavored to bring her up to the wind, bnt she would not come, being held forward, and then rapidly commenced to drift astern, ultimately coming into violent collision with the Lanarkshire. The Reliance’s mizzenmast was carried clean away and fell heavily on the deck, smashing the wheel to atoms, close to which the captafn and several persons were standing, and also bringing down with it the maintopmast. . No one fortunately was injured. The Lanarkshire lost, her jibboom. Captain Swede is of opinion that a line must have been stretched from the wharf to some of the craft at anchor close to it, and his vessel coming in contact with the line was suddenly stopped, and finally collided with the Lanarkshire, as before mentioned. An inquiry will-be held into the circumstances of the collision to-day. A Frenchman named Charles Josef made his appearance at the police office on Thursday, from Rimutuka, at which place he had been rather violently assaulted by two men, named respectively William Kernel and Robert Wills. From Josef’s statement to the police it appears that he and the two men named above were drinking in a sly-grog shop kept by a woman named Hall. Some dispute then took place between the parties relating to the woman Hall. High words essued, and according , to Josef’s statement Kernel and Wills brutally assaulted him. An information was at once laid against the men, and the police yesterday managed to secure Kernel. The case will come on for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning. After Josef had given particulars of the whereabouts of the two men he was admitted to the Hospital, when upon examination it was found that besides ’ being considerably bruised one of his ribs was broken.

Workmen are engaged in pulling down the building in Willis-street formerly the store of Messrs. Turnbull and Co., 1 in order to make room for extensive additions Mr. Liohtscheindl is about to make to the Empire Hotel. Mr. Chatfield has prepared designs, which are about to be carried out by Mr. Edwards, for a two-storey building 60ft. long by some 30ft. in height, which will be. joined to the present hotel. The front is of a handsome design, and a wide balcony with iron balustrades will run the whole length of the new wing. The entrance to the ground floor is to be from the present building, the hall of -which will be greatly enlarged. The new wing will contain a billiard-room 50ft. by 24£t. and a diningroom 50ft. by 26ft., each 16ft. high. Upstairs there will be four sitting-rooms lift, high, with casements opening on the balcony. Tire passage will be 10ft. wide, and off it will open six bedrooms, with a bathroom for ladies. Soma important alterations are to be made in the present building, and it is intended to raise the roof of a portion so as to give greater height to the rooms. In all parts of the hotel good provision is made for ventilation, and

when the works have been completed -the Empire should be an exceedingly commodious and comfortable hotel. The want of extended accommodation has often been experienced by the landlord, and when the recent negotiations for the purchase of the property fell through, Mr. Lichtaoheindl determined to erect an ex;tensive wing that would very largely add to the comfort and attractions of the hotel, i A New Zealand,; Gazette; published i on Thursday, contains an official notification of the election of Mr. Richard Turnbull for the District of Timaru. The following officers in the Public Works Department have been promoted from “extra clerks" 1 to be “clerks:” — Messrs. E. O. Hullett, W. S. Short, and P. C. Wilson. It is notified that the following gen-, tlemen have been elected wardens of the Tara-tahi-Carterton Highway District: Messrs. John Reynolds, Andrew McKenzie, Lewis Nix, Eli Strawbridge, Robert Welch, William Booth, jun., William Corpe. The following gentlemen have been elected to the like offices in the Maaterton Highway District: Messrs. Charles Minchin, Joseph Bennett, Thomas E. Chamberlain, Norman Beetham, Walter Clerk Buchanan, F. G. Moore. Alterations and additions to the rates for the conveyance, delivery, and storage of goods, parcels, &c., on the New Zealand Railways are notified, and passengers are informed that return tickets are available,for distances of 25 miles and under on the day of issue only, and that for each additional 25 miles, or fraction thereof, one day’s extension of time will be allowed for the return journey. The following are gazetted governors of Auckland College and Grammar School: His Honor Thomas Eannatyne Gillies, the Hon. Theodore Minat Haultain, Messrs. John Logan Campbell, David Limond Murdoch, George Maurice O’Rorke.and Theophilus Heale, engineer.

A meeting was held in the Town Hall, Carterton, on the 16th instant, for the purpose of considering the value of land situated in the centre of Carterton, tnrougn wmcn tne railway line passes. From £lO to £75 per acre was the estimated value.

A correspondent at Carterton says : —“ The action of tbe Greytown community iu attempting to include Carterton in the Waiohine River District was also fully discussed. Very strong expressions of opinion were indulged in. A meeting is to be held as early as possible to petition the Governor against the extension. No information on the subject had been accorded to the Carterton people until it was reported in the Wairarapa Standard. A more outrageous or cowardly act was never attempted by one section of a community upon another.”

A good deal of unnecessary delay was occasioned in the Resident Magistrate s Court on Thursday by the non-appearance of the ledgerkeeper of the Bank of New Zealand, who had promised the police to give evidence in the case of forgery against Owen Cameron. _ Several messages were seat to him requesting his attendance. As, however, he did not come, the Court had to be adjourned in order that a subpoena might be served on him. This of course had the desired effect. Had he, however, come when he promised, a number of business men who had been summoned as witnesses would not have been kept hanging about the Court for an unnecessarily long time.

Boroughs. E<timated population Total Births. Total Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to the 1000 of Population. Auckland 13,732 38 13 •95 Thames .. 6,425 IS 3 : ; -65 Wellington ,, 19,037 93 ■ 29 1-63 Nelson .. a,eo3 22 20 3'03 Christchurch .. 13,402 65 18 1*34 Dunedin 22,491 03 28 124 Hokitika 3,244 8 , 5 1-64 : Total.. — : ■ 297 f H0

Quarter ending 31st March, 1878. Corresponding quarter, 1877. Auckland .. £60,098 .. £49,119 Thames 2258 1540 New Plymouth 2618 1976 Wanganui 6463 5405 ■Wellington .. .. 52,751 .. 44,886 Napier .. 10,678 .. 10,035 Nelson .. 10,684 . 8802 Westport 2717 .. - 28U Greymouth .. 9470 9263 Hokitika 6754 8158 Lyttelton .. 05,846 .. 49,570 Timaru 5120 5063. . Oamaru .. 3090 .. 2873 Dunedin .. 101,789 .. 84,000 Invercargill .. 10.421 7256