RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 103, 15 October 1858, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Wednesday, October IB\ Before the Resident Magistrate. , ' . Scott and Jordaii v. Matthewsv-iThis case, which had been left to arbitration at the last - sitting of the Court, and which had been adjourned, was again ,brought forward, Mr. Luck, the gentleman who had been appointed arbitrator, had forwarded his award.to the clerk ofMhe Court, and it wa^cijnfirmejl by &q Resident Magistrate. The judgment was for .£37 zs. 7d., to be paid m a month. Akersten v. Scott and Jordan-.'—-This,was another case, of disputed account,-with an off-set and disputed items. The case was adjourned fur an hour to enable the defendants ■ producing their books. Tlie accounts appeared1 intricate, and from the rather loose way in which, on the production of the books, the entries; had been made, resulted in a verdict., for the- plaintiff for the amount claimed. »..*.-• , Another case which could'tf6ts^gone into between Mr. Akersten and ohe.of the defendants was announced as to be brought forward at a -' future date." ' ' ? " '*" The case of Manihera, a native, .^Hemming,, was adjourned for a fortnight. Clearance of Ships.—Some dissatisfaction lias been expressed .by .parties in trade resident here as to the loose way in which the Custom House allows vessels to clear, ;Tsp.'persons have lately left-I:histown, after' victimising the storekeepers 'resident, here ; "one of them is a painter of the name of Sutherland, who. has, as the Yankees wouldf say r "?made tracks" for Sydney, after collecting1 all the ready money due to the firm of which he belonged (Sutherland and Hibble.) 'It' appears that the bookkeeping was not iv the absentee's department, and he has therefore committed a moral, if not a legal, fraud: Not contented with that, he has -also got heavily into debt for various articles which, as especially private, will not leave the sufferers the poor compensation of suing the firm. The other absconder is a butcher, lately in the employ of Mr, Matthews, of this town, and rejoicing in the soubriquet of " Punch." Neither .of these parties were on board at the time when the Health Officer visited the Ocean Queen, and must have given fictitious names when engaging their passages. There" Bhould be some passon appointed to superintend* the departure of vessels, who would not, through carelessness, allow swindlers to benefit by: such •means of chicanery. - . - , yy.' Theatre. —This establishment was not opened on Wednesday evening, as advertised, in consequence of the state of the weather. The p3rformance is. adjourned until- this eveningj Friday, when the pieces advertised,--"Black-Ex ed Susan," and "P. L., or BO Strand," will he performed;, and as will be seen by an advertisement which we publish to-day, Miss Seymour's benefit will take place next Thursday, when two new pieces and a ballet will be "produced.

Dog Tax.—The Act which, has now come into operation has had the desired effect upon many. There were about 19Q tickets sold up to yesterd ly morning, and there is now a scarcity of any except really valuable jjmimals.. We are given to understand that the police will not appear against defaulters until after Monday next, as it may be possible that, some persons have been unable to comply with the requisitions of the act. Before closing these remarks we wish to draw the attention of the police to the fact that many carcasses of dogs, which have, been drowned in. the tideway, are washed upon various portions of the land, which, left dry by the receding waters, leaves the carrion to putrefy, and spread malaria and noxious gases amongst our residents here. Any person who could be , traced as doing such an act should be, able to some punishment, as the,labor of bury-; ing the carcass, eaunot be too. much.for the late owner of a dog wilfully deprived of life. * Per-~ haps the Inspector of Nuisances will also at-, tend to this. - \ •*■

Accident with -Machinery.—A son of Mr. Jenkins, upholsterer, of this town, while, in' the act of turning the wheel of a machine used for dressing wool, carelessly placed his hand near the cog-wheels, when two fingers were -» drawn in and crushed. < Fortunately he was himself turning the wheel; or he would probably have lost bis hand. ~ . The Late Rains.—The farmers in'the* country districts have for the last week been complaining of the want of raoisturtj andtbe , rain which set in on Wednesday must have fully satisfied them—it came down with a rapidity; which rapidly made all buildings which were not of the best- workmanship anything -but watertight. Early on the morning of Thursday, the Maitai was gradually increasing in volume, until at last it became a heavy flood. Much of the low land adjoining it was covered'for some hours, and the rush of water has done considerable damage in some places at the, new foot-bridge at the end of Coliingwobd-street. One of the pontoons is so far shifted as to make it necessary at the earliest opportunity to see to its repair. Another pontoon is- also slightly displaced. These alterations-are .to-be accounted for by the fact that at the building of the bridge the pointed ends of these pontoons were not set so as to meet.the, current truly, but were left with one side more exposed £6-the'; violence of. the water than.the other. Ontie^ .right-hand bank, looking upwards to the sourWof the river, a considerable quantity of land has y been washed away. The whole of the roadway-; between tbe sections, and the river is edmpletely \ gone; and in"the case.of 6n6 piwe ofla^ lafeljr;.^ bought by Mr. C..lAa^n^^Nh:*^i^yEpi^ has been carried away.: '."A"vei^ahghtf«pfj|s§.7 ? would here preserve the river in^itsi-prpperii? ,limits. We may congratulate ourselves*oretlw v absence of any large trees being bronght'-'doirajr* as ..with the power of the water flowinfrduriifc 1 the earlier, part of yesterday, .one W(snj3^yjs^;. | been isnfticientfp jeopardise the *W&l^'¥Hfe& ,*ntu» bridge; .. '~ \ \,\ ... .-, & m-m&

: >~Y&:mw.y .iir^r-r-vT ■•; (. •...,•,-■* — ; < ■■".—■ — - : -:,;, U- : s|tid*»toND'.~The7 Monthly 7' Magazine -has' £ 7 ;-Stiir there are; mental im-j i.C:\-l^^meht^di're'c»eßtioh/-'iii- other ways.'--, At' ,7 :\drawingVclass,>at;aylow-charge, fs taught on- , t - \'^^^'i%i^^ri3ay*f.^M^ay-a^i;Wednes-'----*8 >Passed i^heafing sermons';; J J i^&af:B^y i a lecturo'is:delivered ?to^'4e andyfriends:'of -the Biblical, *'f * Dls^siori;'Socjejy.y In temporals.:we:have two, ;;'^ "new' st»resrerecting-.by; the roadside, near the l"''' • Mechanics' Institute^ and a range of buildings ; • 'for 6tables is nearly completed, behind Mr.: * : butchering premises, which report - «ays is to Be opened with a ball. In Richmond, . • . fair women and brave men reside, who are fit .to grace such'lively assemblies.— -Communicated.