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Colonist, Volume III, Issue 228, 27 December 1859, Page 4

Imprisonment for Debt. —An extraordinary scene took place at the Bow County Court a fewdays ago. There were several cases of summonses for debt in which the defendants did not appear. The judge, Sergeant Stories, positively refused, in each case, to commit. He thus explained the grounds of his refusal:— It is an abominable system, this system of imprisonment for debt. I hold the system to be dishonorable; and it is fast becoming a penal punishment. It is attaching a criminal punishment to the non-performance of a civil contract. Imprisonment for debt is a great thing for the profit of the agent, who holds the liberty of the subject in one hand ami asks for the money with tlie other. I have a great objection to sending a British subject to gaol. The legislator had almost abolished imprisonment for debt; but they are a cowardly legislator, and they have not done it. Very animated discussion ensued between the judge and the plaintiffs; but the former was inexorable. He told them to go to the Co urt of Queen's Bench for a mandamus, if they liked ; he would adhere to the principle he had laid down ; and he advised creditors to take more care of themselves. "Ifyour honor does not commit,'' said one of the plaintiffs, " what is the use of coming here V No use at all," said his honor : " I do not mean to send people to prison any more." Another plaintiff who asked what he was to do to get his money, was told to v; go without;" that " the gaoler was not to have the defendant's carcase.1'' — Home News, October 19.

Curious, if True.—The correspondent of the Kiama Examiner, writing from Jamberoo, says:~ " A singular circumstance was related to me a few days ago, which, if I ever write an Australian romance, I shall take care to insert, with "startling," as the. play-Mils say. A green tree which had been left standing among the felled timber.on a piece of ground belonging to our neighbor Mr. Nicholas Handley, wi*ich was in the process of clearing, ignited in the running fire, and by-and-by the upper part fell, the trun^ dividing at the height of 14 or 15 feet from the ground- It was found, on examination, that both .portions were hollow, and in each were found sotiie hun^an bones. My informant thought that the most provable metliod of accounting for the phenomenon, was *° suppose that some blackfellow", in the pursuit of o opossums or other game, had found his way into the Iloilovv of the tree, and had been unable to ; get out." We have to record the demise of the Earl of We. st" SmS m hss 76- th y™' The dece^ed lord passeu' through a very active diplomatic lik.-MomMws. v