MAGISTERIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2306, 7 August 1880, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

'miAltr— THlS DAY

(Before lb Boetham, Esq., li.M.) A VEIIV N’AI! ROW KSi ’A I’M.

William Charters was charged on remand will) a breach ul: the Animals Protection Act oC 1873, by unlawfully selling a hare ami a pheasant without being duly licensed to sell game. Mr White appeared to prosecute on behalf of the. Acclimatisation Society.

Mr Austin appeared to defend the accused, and took throe preliminary objections, two of which had reference to the information on which the accused was charged. The objections were: firstly; that the information had not been laid by or at the instance of the Acclimatisation Society ; secondly, that the information did not particularise the provincial district in which the alleged olfeiicc was committed ; and, thirdly, that there was no proof that the hare and pheasant in question had not been bred by the defendant and brought up by him in a slate of; domestication. Air White having brielly replied to the objections raised, His Worship remarked that he considered the olfeiicc proved. In reply to a question from the Bench Inspector Pender stated that complaints had been made about the accused before. He bad, however, a large family and having lost one of 1 1 is hands was incapacitated to a great extent for work. The accused remarked that he had nine children.

His Worship (addressing the accused) —You arc fined £2O, but as J. have some discretion in the matter, 1 shall take the extenuating circumstances of the ease into consideration, and deal leniently with yon. You arc lined £2O, with the alternative of 21 hours’

imprisonment. But let this act as a warning to you. Should you again offend on the strength of getting off so lightly you will bo dealt with very differently.

The accused, who hardly seemed to realise Ids good fortune, was then removed. The Court, then rose.