A HARD CASE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2430, 31 December 1880, Page 3

A HARD CASE.

The editor and proprietor of the Manawatu Times —Mr John D. Dungau—bitterly complains of the way in which he has been “had ” by a local solicitor named Staile. It appears that in August last Dungan sued Staile on a dishonored acceptance for £33, and Staile confessed judgment. In a judgment summons having been issued, the bench called on the plaintiff to show that Staile could and would not pa}' the money. Dungan thereupon put Staile and his clerk in the witness box, but they declined to give any insight into their business, and the case was dismissed. In a letter in the “ Times ” Mr Dungan sa3's: —Here is a man who months ago spent the mone3 r he received to pay to me ; a solicitor of the Supreme Court in good practice, and he swears that in four months he has not received seven .shillings a da3 r —not as much as a laborer on the roads. I waited nearly two 3’ , cars without asking for payment ; at the suggestion of the Magistrate I have taken adjournment after adjournment, thinking the defendant would be shamed into meeting his just debt, and now I am informed b3 r the dispenser of Justice, after I have spent pounds of my own money, that I am as far off recovery as ever. Well, Mr Ward ma3 r have acted quite fairly and justly, and I leave the public to form their own judgment ; but as I intend to lay the matter before the Minister of Justice, I will be certain on that point; while I will take care that the Law Society shall know something of one of the members of the pi’ofessiou in Palmerston.

We understand that Mr Green has secured two polled Angus bullocks for exhibition to-morrow. A third bullock of the same celebrated flock will be on view at Messrs Peacock and Geaney’s West End Butchery to-morrow morning. Mr Hawkins, solicitor, of Manuawata lias been temporarily disabled by sun stroke. Mr W, Lewis, of Wellington, who has been appointed Assistant Law officer of the Grown receives ifooo a year. We note that at a meeting of the Oaraani School Committee last evening, it was decided to bring the compulsory clauses of the Education Act into force in that district. Captain A. T. Maginnity has resigned as a member of the Hew Zealand Torpedo Corps. The purchaser of the Caledonian privileges at Dunedin, yesterday, was Mr Thomas Inglis, the well-known draper. Captain Barry has gravitated from a public lecturer to an itinerant butcher. He superintends a mutton stall in the Dunedin market. In the absence of other work the hands at the breakwater are engaged at present repairing the portion of the southern face where it has been damaged by the seas. It is intended to rebuild the side of one or two sections where the blocks gave way some months ago.

Detective Kirby to-day arrested a man named Ford on a charge of stealing money from the person of Michael Sheahy. The accused will be brought up to-morrow at the B. M. Court, Accused and accuser are residents of Timaru.

Constable Christopher Conn, for many years chief guardian of the B. M. Court, Dunedin, by day and the Princess Theatre by night, has been promoted to the position of Clerk of the R. M. Court at Tapauui There arc few public officers who better deserved promotion.

The following is the official account of Captain Knollys’ visit to Te Whiti, as supplied to the “ Evening Post” “At the request, and express advice of Ministers, His Excellency consented to despatch his aide-de-camp to Parihaka, with the chief Hone Pihama, the -latter conveying a letter from the Governor to Te Whiti, and Mr Hursthouse accompanying them as interpreter. The contents of the letter have not transpired, but will be known in a few days, as also the result of the mission. Capt. Knollys and Mr Hursthouse are on their way back to Wellington overland. They were delayed at Opunake on their way up, to receive some supplementary instructions, which it was thought advisable to despatch. We are assured that His Excellency and his responsible advisers are in perfect accord on this matter, and the step was taken entirely at the suggestion of Ministers themselves.”

On a school committee in Wellington there is a Mr Banks who recently addressed the boys at a public school to this effect : “ Don’t learn Latin, but keep your faces dirty, my lads ; get‘a job’of some sort which is not 1 genteel.’ Don’t get employment in the Telegraph Office, which is a useless sort of thing, as far as you are concerned ; and don’t break windows during the holidays.”

On New Year’s Day a Champion Pigeon Race will take place under the auspices of the East Christchurch Pigeon Flying Club, between Christchurch and Dunedin, a distance of 283 miles, in which Messrs Ashby’s Bruiser. G. Bryenton’s Postboy, P. Taylor’s Land Agent and Governor, F, Williams’ Crusader, J, Hicks’ First King and Storm bird, R. Fowlkc’s Blair Athol and Blue Villain.

r lhc fishing trade, which has lately been rather dull on the concrete blocks, has suddenly revived. To-day, a few splendid specimens of codfish were caught, and they have the advantage over the recent shoals, of being in season and consequently better flavored. To give varic y to the sport, a colony of young crayfish have visited the Breakwater and nets made with hoops and gunny bags arc becoming the rage.

The express train from the South this afternoon brought up 32 Maoris from Dunedin gaol. They were m route for Wellington, where they will be liberated. The natives were at lunch while the train was at the platform, and the carriage was surrounded by curious lookers on to see I lie '• Maoris feed.” The meal was composed of peas, potatoes, and bread mixed together and placed in boxes on the lloor of the carriage, and from which the Maoris helped themselves with their fingers, partaking of 1 lie humble faro with great apparent relish.

The Simla correspondent of “ Englishman ” tells the following story about General Burrows :—“ You must know that in order to ‘ intelligence ’ and ‘ survey ' the country accurately and elaborately several camel loads of pencils and paper were sent up with Burrows to the Hclmund. One day on the retirement of the force for want of supplies, there were no rations at alj for the troops ; so the General recognising the extreme gravity of the situation, assembled them, made a speech, and then ordered each man to be supplied with a lead pencil and sheet of paper. He said that, as General Primrose had disappointed him in sending up the provisions he had weeks before ordered for the troops, the pencils and paper were intended to enable them to draw their rations as usual.”