RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 516, 11 July 1866, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before H. M'Culloch, Esq., E.M.)

FRIDAY, 6th JULY. Peter Sherry and Joseph Williams were each fined 20s, or 48 hours' imprisonment, for drunkenness. James M'Pherson was charged with using obsene language by Sergeant O'Keefe, and having been convicted oi the offence, was fined 20s, or 48 hours' imprisonment. A charge of assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty against the last named defendant, was dismissed. Thomas ßobinson was charged, on the information of John Watson, with illegally impounding cattle. It appeared from the evidence that four cows belonging to the complainant were found by the defendant ia his garden, and he ordered his servant to drive them to the Pound, which wss accordingly done. The complainant afterwards released the cattle, and paid certain Pound fees, which he alleged were illegally demanded from him. The present complaint was made to recover the amount of these fees and damages done to the cows, which were in calf, through being driven some miles over a very bad road. Complainant alleged that his cows got into defendant's premises through the insufficiency of his (defendant's) fences, and numerous witnesses were examined in support of the allegation. The defence consisted in a denial of the complainant's and his witnesses' evidence as to the insufficiency of the fence around the garden in which the cattle were found, it being an enclosure protected all round by a paling fence, and within the boundary fence3 of defendant's ground, which were admitted to be somewhat out of repair. Defendant and his witnesses averred that the cows broke down the paling, and so entered the garden. At the close of defendant's case, the Eesident Magistrate dismissed the information, on the ground that the complainant had not brought forward sufficient proof that the cattle had baen illegally impounded. Civil Cases. PTJETTELKOW Y. EVANS. Claim for £4, damages for removal of fittings of a house. Judgment for plaintiff. BETJCE T. WISKART. Claim for £l 11s, work done in surveying the Black "Watch. Judgment by default.