MOTUEKA MAGISTRTES' COURT.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 381, 18 June 1861, Page 2

MOTUEKA MAGISTRTES' COURT.

[Before Major Gascoyne, Captain Wright, J, Grbbn.wood,' C. Thorpe, and.—- Vvvtan, Esqs.] Sherman v. JShtite.

This was a case in which the defendant was summoned by the plaintiff, Wm. Sherman, senr., for the sura of £1, paid by, Wm. Sherman, junr., son of the plaintiff, to the defendant as part of the purchase money of a book intended for a present td his mother,.and which the .plaintiff sought to be returned to defendant on the plea that the son was not of age, although he waß earning his own living. C

The case having been gone; into, it was proved to the Court that a period of three weeks had elapsed, during which time the plaintiff had held the. book in his possession, without any step haying been taken to return it, or any objection being made by the parents as to the purchase. , The Bench, after a short time in consulting the matter, gave the verdict in favor of the defendant, plaintiff to pay the costs.— Communicated.

Dun Mountain.-!— The works on the line are being prosecuted with vigor, one hundred and twenty men having been put on within the last month. This amount of labor lias been principally supplied by a number, of miners, who^ previous to the arrival of more seasonable weather for a dead-set at the Wangapeka Gold Fields, have found employment in the interim on these, works, to tlie benefit of themselves as well as to: the convenience of the Company. The managers are thus enabled to proceed as rapidly as possible consistently with efficiency, and the men will have a source of constant and remunerative employment for some time to come* their wages twins ten duUtegs per dienu

Launch of a Nuw Steamku.—On Friday last a s.nall steamer was launched for Mr. Stock, of the Port. She is 70 feet over all, 11 feet beam, depth between decks 5 feet 3 inches ; will be fitted. with a pair of oscillating engines, six-horse po\vi>r each, working a screw propeller. She ha* been named the Ondine, and is intended for our coasting trade. Court Martial.—At a General Court Martial assembled at Auckland on the 23rd April, 1861, the under-mentioned men of the Royal Artillery were found guilty of mutiny on the passage from England on board the ship Norwood, and received the following sentences :—Gunners Win. Wilson 7 years' penal servitude, J. Baggs 4 ditto, M. Gregory 5 ditto, D. Russell 4 ditto, J Calderwood 2 years' imprisonment with hard labor and 50 lashes, W. Neil 2 ditto with hard labor; Driver D. Cullen 5 years' penul servitude.

Exhibition of Cross-Bred Wools.—Goldbrongh's Circular says :— ' This Exhibition, got up at the instigation of several constituents interested in cross-breeding, who, differing in opinion as to which was the best and most judicious cross with our pure merinoes, suitable to tho home wool market, proposed that we should invite competition, and give a prize for the best sample shown. Wo regret that unavoidable circumstances prevented two or three samples coming forward; as it was, only four were shown—and of these, decidedly the be3t, and the one to which tha Silver Cup was awarded, was a small lot of 25 Fleeces, first cross Cotswold and pure Merino, exhibited by Edward Rp\y,,Esq., of BournefieldThis sample evidently partook more of the Merino than the Cotdwold, and was highly commended by the Judges. The second best lot was the property of William Lyall, Esq., of Frogtnore, and was in beautiful condition—but the wool partaking more of the English blood, was much coarser, and although longer in the staple, was not considered so suitable for manufacturing purposes. Tlie other samples did not meet the approval of the Judges.