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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1012, 15 December 1881, Page 3

Judge Richmond is reported by the West Coast Times to have become annoyed at the waste of time the lawyers occasioned in a case at the recent sitting of the Supreme Court. He expressed a wish that counsel on both sides would give the judge and jury credit for common sense. He felt, during the progress of a number of unnecessary questions, like a person who opens paper after paper, wrapped apparently round some object, and ultimately finds nothing. Mr South rose, in order to make some remarks in reference to his Honour’s remarks, when he was very promptly requested to sit down, and refrain from making a speech. Mr South quickly took the hint, and his Honour then observed that if counsel had some deep design to unfold they might go on with their apparently irrelevant questions. He explained that even a judge’s nerves were apt to get a little irritated over so much ado about nothing.

An incident occurred at the last York races which should act as a warning to those who are ever ready to accept the lougodds offered by a certain class of “ professional sportsmen”to be found at all the race meetings. It appears that a body of these bookmakers resolves upon a coup d'etat, and carried it out in a style which will ■long be remembered. They laid long odds, received the half-sovereigns and half-crowns of a large body of people, but when time for settling arrived, each possessed himself of a heavy cudgel from a sackful brought ready for the purpose by a confederate, and then they all marched off the racecourse together in something like military formation, and paying not the slightest heed to the threats and appeals of those with whom they had made bets, and to whom, of course, they were under heavy pecuniary obligations. .Outsiders laughed as they saw the welshers march away, followed by an excited crowd, and were not surprised at hearing that the latter were kept in awe by the determined attitude of the swindlers, and the sight of the weapons with which they had armed themselves.

Sir Francis Dillon Bell was present at the annual dinner of the Iron and Steel Institute, on the 12th October (says the European ALail), and proposed the toast of the evening in the following terms: —“ I felt,” he said, “ when I saw my name was associated with this toast, that there was a singular appropriateness in asking a colonist to propose it, and for this reason: All the things to which you have been witnesses in so many years, and which represent to you the growth of the magnificent works with which you are associated, to us, from the other side of the world, they show the leaps and bounds with which iron and steel manufacture has been progressing during the last 10 or 20 years. In another sense it is also appropriate that a colonist should be the proposer of the toast, for if, in Europe, an association like this is immensely concerned in the improvement of nations, how much more will you be interested in those distant communities who are obliged to rely upon you for their comfort and progress ? In my colony we live in a great degree in iron houses, and we therefore rely upon you to provide them for us. Our Colony possesses vast iron resources, and will afford an outlet for your energy, and nowhere in the world are enterprise and energy more appreciated than in our Colonies.’