The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPT. 21, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 437, 21 September 1877, Page 2

The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPT. 21, 1877.

The conduct of the man William Miller, who was the informer in some of the slygrog cases heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, and who did hoc appear when called as a witness, was again brought under the notice of the Magistrate this morning by Mr. O'Meagher. It is pretty generally believed that Miller, who had been hired to obtain convictions against persons selling liquor without having licenses to do so, has been bribed !>y persons interested to levant in order that the cases might fall through. Mr. O'Mergher pointed out that if such conduct were permitted there would be an end to all possibility of obtaining convictions, a remark with which his Worship concurred. Sub-Inspector Smith pointed out that the fact of witness not appearing when subpoenaed to do so was treating the Court with contempt, and that it was necessary to make an examine of such men as Mider. It was understood that a warrant would be issued for the a: rest of Miller for contempt of Court.

His Worship the "Resident Magistrate this morning gave his decisions in the cases of sly.grog-selling against Robert Keenan and Rachael Grace, heard yesterday. The former was fined Lls, and tlie latter L 5. We understand that a number of other cases will shortly come under the notice of the Eesident Magistrate. The outward Suez mail will close at the Oamaru office on Tue day next, at G a.m.

The Headquarters Companies of the Oama-u Battalion of Volunteers will parade at half-past 7 o'clock this evening for inspection by the officer commanding. Messrs. Connell and Clowes will sell tomorrow, at their new stores, at one o'clock, sections at Cave Valley, household furniture, house, etc., in Mr. W. Doak's estate. Mr. Maude will sell to-morrow, at his stores, Harbour-street, at 12 o'clock, under instructions from the Waitaki Jockey Club, booths and privileges for the ensuing Dmitroon race* ; also, at tame time and place, bottled stout, furniture, crockery ware, kc. With reference to the witness Henry .Stock, who was called to g've evidence in the case of sly-grog-selling preferred against Patrick Carney yesterday and whose statements in reply to Mr. U'Meagher appeared to indicate that he ha t been tampered with, we have obtained a solution of the matter to which, in justice to Mr. Stock, we feel bound to give publicity. It f-eenis that the man Miller, when lie gave the information to the p"lice on the strength of which the proceedings were instituted, mentioned the name of Mr. Stock as one of those who was present when the In-each of the Jaw occurred. The fact turned out to be, as stated by Mr. Stock when in the witnessbox, that he did not know the defendant and that he had not inside his house — statements which created no little sun rise in Court, alike to magistrate, counsel, police, and public. Whether Miller wilfully misled the police, or whether he had made a mistake as to which of the ca-es Mr. Stock was a witness in, a matter of doubt, but the after conduct of Miller, in quietly pocketing the money given to him for acting as an informer, and then levanting without performing the work he had been hired to do, favours the supposition that he had purposely misled the police, and thus placed Mr. Stock in the unpleasant position he found himself in yesterday. A meeting of the Committee of the Waitaki County Acclimatisation Society toolc place to-day at half-past 11 o'clock at the County Council Chambers. Present—Messrs. Eonayne (in the chair), Connell (lion. Sec), Wheat-ley, iKmlop, Allen, Steward, Hay, and Borton. .Routine business having been disposed of, the Secretary read the inward and outward correspondence. The question of securing a piece of land suitable for the operations of ihe Society was then discussed, and Mr. Steward explained that the reserve on the Town Boundary (16 acres in extent) for which the Acc'imatisation Society had applied to the Government, was the property of the Oamaru Municipal Council, and said that he believed the Municipal Council would have no objection whatever to come to some arrangement to hand the land over to the Society, and to facilitate its operations. It could be leased for 21 years to the Society, which some members thought would make it as good as a freehold for the purposes of the Society. Mi - . Wheatley gave notice that he would move at the next meeting of the Committee that four additional members of Committee be elected from County members, as provided by rule, in order that the attendance of a quorum at mretings of the Society might be more assured. On the motion of Mr. Imnlop, seconded by Mr. Wheatley, it was decided to apjily to the Municipal Conner for the lease of the land required by the Society for 21 years, at a nominal rental. —Carried. The election of officers resulted as follows : —Mr. J. Reid, President; Messrs. Steward and Borton, Vice-Presidents ; Mr. Connell, joint Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. It was proposed by Mr. Duulop, and seconded by Mr. Alien and carried, '• That the Secretary be requested to get the rules of the Society printed in pamphlet form at as r asonabie a price as possible." It was decided that the Society's account should be kept at the Bank of New Zealand. Mr. Wheatley explained that the sum of LSO which was supposed to be placed in the hands of Mr. Duncan and himself had not been paid over to them, because they had found on writing to Chiistchuich for salmon ova that it had all been distributed. He would, however, move at the next meeting of the Waitaki County

Council that the amount be handed over to the Acclimatisation Society. It was resmved that Messrs. Wheatley and Young be empowered to take the necessary steps for erecting hatching boxes at Kakanui or other convenient places, and obtaining ova for the same, the Secretary to write to Mr. Young asking him to act in conjunction with Mr. Wheatley. _^__