The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 664, 1 May 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1867.

The reduced rate of postage on newspapers via Panama, comes into operation this day. The rate by that route is now the same as via Suez, viz.s one penny. In ihe Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday an action, Taylor v. Dalwig, was heard and- decided. Mr Harvey for the plaintiff (His Honor the Superintendent) explained that the sole object sought was to establish the fact that parties had no right to cut or remove timber from, the Town Belt, and that he was not instructed to press for more than nominal damages. The defendant admitted having cut a little firewood as stated, but said in extenuation that he had received no official warning not to do so. Judgment was given for plaintiff one shilling and costs 15s. The rehearing of Macintosh v. Laing, action to recover £12 12s, for professional services as teacher oi music, occupied a long time. We have not space to give even a bare abstract of the evidence led as no less than twelve witnesses were examined, and counsel on both sides (Mr Macdonald for he plaintiff and Mr Harvey for defendant) addressed the Court at some length. Mr M'Culloch reserved his decision until this morning at II o'clock. Judgment was given yesterday in the case of Macintosh v. Lang — claim for £12 129, fees for music lessons, alleged to have been given by plaintiff's wife to defendant's daughters. Mr M'Culloch said that on the first hearing the whole of the plaintiff's statement met with denial from defendant, who said that no sort of instruction was given by Mrs Macintosh to any member of his family. This evidence was on Tuesday modified in such a manner that if so given in the first instance there would have been no necessity for a re-hearing. Mrs Lang was the only witness who persisted in Btating that no instruction of any kind was given ; her husband admitted tiiere might have been ; and the daughters, that they were taught a h'ttle. In the face of this evidence there was that of Mr Lloyd, a very good witness, who said that he was introduced to Mrs Macintosh by Mrs Lang, who described her as the lady . teaching her (Mrs Lang's) daughters. The question then was whether the plaintiff was entitled to the amount churned for Bix months' tuition. The story of the daughters was consistent, and, taking everything ?nto consideration, more entitled to belief than the other. Judgement would be for the plaintiff, £12 12s and costs. ■: ■ , llKthe Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, JoseplkStorie appeared to answer an information for sly gfcQg selling, referred by J. Moir Wood. The evidence of the informant was to the effect that on Thursday last he obtained two glasseß of brandy and a bottle of porter at defendant's house, and that he^paid for the same on Saturday/ In cross-exaiiiination by Storie, Wood admitted having been! in liquor at the time he paid j the money, but denied that he wa3 pat out of the house, or .that he broke a door and window, as alleged. He also denied that he laid the information " for fear of getting a sentence for being so" often i» the lock-up." Sergeant O'Keefe stated that in consequence of information received, he obtained a search waivant, and pro'deeded to defendant's house, where he found one bottle and a half of brandy, aud two bottles of porter. There were also beer glasses and brVudy glasses on the chimney-piece. The information was laid by Wood on Sunday last, after he had been admitted to bail (having been apprehended for being drunk.) No inducement was held ou^ to him to inform. This was the evidence for the prosecution. Mr M'CuHoch said that as the case rested on the unsupported testimony of Wood— the small quantity of liquor found, being no more than defendant might be supposed to keep" for his private use— he should dismiss the information with a caution to "Storie. : V ' Shocking accounts of troubles with the Indians are given in the New York papers. , A "recent despatch from Fort Loraine, states that a number of Indians came near the post, and Brevet lieut.Col. W. Ji Feltnian, Captain J. H. Brown, and -Lieut. G-lumond, all of the Eighteenth Infantry, gathered hastily 39 men ;' of Company 0, Second Cavalry, and 45 men of the Eighteenth Infantry, and went after the Indians. The troops were gradually drawn on until at a point four miles from the fort, when they were surrounded and slaughtered. Not a man escaped to tell the story of the disaster. The bodies were stripped of every article of clothing, scalped and mutilated. Thirty bodies were found in a space not larger than a good-sized room. Nearly all the bodies were recovered and buried in the fort. A terrific tornado has recently visited California. It passed, about half-a-mile south-west of the town of Nevada, levelling houses, trees, everything in its course. . Had the hurricane gone directly over the town it is impossible to calculate what damage it might have done. At Peake Eavine Grove thirty -two large trees were broken in twain eight or ten feet from the ground and shivered into kindling wood as though it had been the work of lightning. Large houses were picked up by the wind and carried some distance, and then thrown a mass of ruins to the ground. In the course of its northward progress its width was about 600 feet. It was by far the most terrific storm which has- ever ocourred in California. The following are .some of the notices of motion for the coming session of tli9. House of Commons : — Lord Ernest Bruce will call the attrition of the House to the present mode of admitting strangers to the House. Lord Elcho will move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the present disgraceful and anomalous law of maßter and servants. Mr Ewart, faithful to his ancient loves ' of metric measures and abolition of the punish-" ment'of death, will endeavor to get a committee reappointed on the former, and again -take the sense of the House on the latter question. Mr Kennedy will submit a series of sweeping resolutions, on the condition of Ireland. Mr Neat will move for ' a Select Committee to inquire into the nature and operation of the laws respecting the alienation of real property, and the mischiefs and dangers .arising from the excessive accumulation of land in the hands of free owners.' Mr O'Beirne will endeavor ..to jnduce tha House to consent to a loan of one million being applied to the cutting of large estates in Ireland into small oneai with a view to the establishment of a proprietary of small freeholders. Mr" Pearson intends to produce, too, a, B.UI for the repeal of the legislative Union of England, wad. Ireland, for #w

restoration of the Constitution of 1782, and for the permanent appointment of one of the Royal Princes to the Vice-royalty of Ireland* with a suitable revenue, and Mr M'Cullagh Torrens ■will discuss the questions of Artisans and Laborers', dwellings, and of Extradition treaties with Foreign countries.