District Court.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7733, 8 February 1905, Page 2

District Court.

VELCOME TO DISTRICT JIDGE HASELBEN. A sitting of the District Court vas held at the Courthouse ,on Tueslay when additional interest was lent to the proceedings on account of His Honor District Judge \V. R. Ilaseidin taking his seat for the :irst time. On the New District Judge taking his Sk'ul, the whole of the barristers present rose, and Mr Samuel on beiiulf of the Taranaki bur tendered lo His Honor a cordial welcome on taking his seat for the fiist time in that Court. After referring to the benefits which accrued to the community through the District Court Sittings, Mr Samuei stated that the Jistrkt assigned to His Honor was large, and it was therefore a gieat satisfaction to tile profession to know that this district had been L'omniilted to the charge of one who had had such un e-.t.'nsive experieiKv as His Honor, it would, continued Mr Samuel, be unfitting for hlin to do more than express satisfaction at having His Honor to preside over the Court, and ou behalf of the bar he bespoke His Honor's assistance in the conduct of business, and trusted that the same happy relations which had existed in the past between the Bench and the Bar would continue;. Mr Samuel concluded by again welcoming His Honor to this district. District) Judge Hasclden, in reply, thankVsd Mr Samuel and the members of the Bar very sincerely for the kind way liai which he hadVjoen welcomed. It was, said His Honor, u great satisfaction to him to lint that his removal from the Magisterial to the District Court Bend had not "called forth any dissent, and the confidence thus shown would assist him in doing his duty as a District Court Judge. The district committed to his charge was a largt one and embraced various interests from gold to agriculture. This, howover, would give him a greater scopi tor work. He was glad to hear whai had been said by Mr Samuel as tc the usefulness off the District Court It gave hiim great pleasure to se< Mr Samuel and the other solicitor: sitting) before hiiiv and he hopet that those he was not at the mom ent acquainted with would soon l» well known to him ; also that mos satisfactory relations would exis between himself and the Bar. Hi: Honor expressed the great pleasur it was to him to sec lyeforo him hi old friend Mr Weston from whom ii I the past ho had learned a grea deal. It was twenty years since the; had last met in Court, and then said Hid Honor). "it was Mr Wes ton who was the Judge and I wa: | Counsel." He was greatly pleased ti come back to Taranaki with it; ;great wealth of products all around ;and its prosperity evident to every .one. Before concluding His- Hono again thanked the Bar for the cor dial welckmo he hod received. IN' BANKRUPTCY. —Application for Discharge.— Henry Mehaffey applied for his dis charge, which was opposed by M Malone on behalf of one of the cred itors (Mr Coley.) Mr Malone said the bankruptc; was unsatisfactory, and he protestei against a man receiving a clean dis charge who had made no offer am probably meant to start again o tho same course, He detailed th circumstances leading up to th bankruptcy. IJonry Mehaffey, in answer to M Malone, admitted having becom bankrupt in '188(5, His wife too a-farm in 1900, paying between £9 and £IOO for same. Tho mone came from proceeds of sale of se( lions held by witness. Could no say whether there was any mone; over after paying for tho lease. Hi wife had some stock, but wilnes could not remember the number. A arrangement was made between wil ness and Co)ey that witness shoul buy and sell cattle in Coley's nam and divide tho profits. Probabl about 80 head were bought. Th first line consisted of 16 cows fo milking. Instead of Coley allowin witness to keep and milk the cows he (Coley) had the cows driven o to his farm. For only about 1 weeks there were sufficient cows o his wife's farm for milking. Out i | the £ll9 received. from Mr Jako ifor stock witness paid Coley £si ;and retained tho balance, except £ or £9 for grazing. The rcmaindt of the stock were sold by Coley at I loss : besides this some of the call] died and others were lost. To His Honour : There would be j balance of about £SO due to Cole jby witness, Witness : It is hard lines to b pushed into the Bankruptcy Com through Cojey having lost cattle an sold others at a loss. His Honour : It would Ire hardc lines for you not lo get out of th "Bankruptcy Court, which you ni trying to do, but you will not sue ceed unless you show me that yo have not been guilty of misconduc in your financial dealings wlthColej To Mr Malone : Two of the catt'l died and two were lost, tho remain der were taken by Coley. His wif received £l2O on selling the farm She might' have given witness a fei shillings. The three sections hcl by witness realised £l9O. Afte selling the farm his wife bought house at Stratford, paying £IOO d( posit. The sections wcro subject t a mortgage of about £9O. On sell ing the house at Stratford his wii only received £l4 lis, the remainde being lost In Interest and charges Only held the house for about, a veai It sold for £3O less than it cost. To Bis Honour : Was now livin on a workman's homo section a Spots-wood, and making a little fror poultry. His wife had a sma leasehold, on which was one cow, pony and trap, and some poultry. To Mr Malone : Had admitted' ow ing Coley £IOO, but that was mad up of losses and expenses. Had bee in partnership with a Mr Ramsay i a poultry farm. Ramsav was creditor for £i)o, which witness ad mjtted owing. His Honour said that he would ad journ the case tiil the next sitting o tho Court, and in the mean-whil bankrupt could prepare a rcliabl statement of his various transac tions. No man, said His Honour would ever receive a discharge Iron him who indulged in fancy state ments instead of facts. HisH'onou further gave bankrupt instruction pn the pojnts on which informatioi was required, adding that gentlemei who had property and stock in theii wives-' names did not go through thi Bankruptcy Court easily, but mus furnish full explanations of all theii transactions, At the same time thi Court would render assistance t( thoso who held property, etc., ii their own names and had come t< grief, Tho application was accordinglj adjourned, Bankrupt applied for the assistance of the Court in obtaining Mi Spence's attendance as a witness but His Honour said the Couri could not pay the expenses of wit nesses, but a letter from Mr Spenci would suffice. —Releases.— On the application of the D.A.O an order was made releasing hin from administration in the following estates '.—Frederick Wilhelm Jensen John McCook, Janitts Nelson Whit field, James Purdic, John Willian | Roberts, John Rogers, Wilfred Voi !Stunner, James William Mortensen Thomas Bishell, John William Heal Henry Williamson, Charles Wooding Frederick Hullmond. At the suggestion of His Honour the release in Uic estate of Ilenrj Mehaffey was postponed. This concluded the sitting, and the Court- rose.