SUPREME COURTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1565, 5 October 1886, Page 3

SUPREME COURTS.

Auckland,' Ost, 4. Judge Ward, .addressing the Grand Tury at the opening of the criminal sesft"on, expressed regret that on the first pctasion of his presiding here the calendar should be ILe heaviest known in Auckland for many years. Seasonß of commercial >,' depression invariably produced a beovy list of criminal cases, but he sincerely . hoped that the long list of criminal cases now before him was not to be taken as a fair indication of the state -vf the mercantile barometer in the north, then proceeded to comment upon the chai^ eßj 0 f w hich there are no fewer than £V46to\e dealt with. '':' \ Weihncwon, Oct. 4. ;■ . The iqpreme Court opened this morning. There are 17 cases, including the-.case ag* nß t Te Whiti, Titokowaru, and others. Tbe Judge in his charge said the cases were of more importance, but presented nig rea ter difficulties than nsual. Referring to the native caseß he ■aid that although r e Whiti was not prosent when the offence waß committed, evidence would be bn U gbl to prove that he nas the instigatoi of such offences, •' and if each was the easehe would be held to be equally gnilty with h« others. Hia . Honor made a lengthy »harge in the ' *libel case against Hoskins, brought by Sir Jnlim Vogel. He said there were two things for the jury to colder, viz., the article which appeared in the .Advertiser and a cartoon published in the same piper. The article in question was headed " Parliamentary scandal,* and , had reference to the Waimate railway. •■'-' Hie Honor instructed the jury \hat if the article was merely a narration of the condemnatory opinions expressed by the Parlinmentary Committee, and if the article only reiterated these opinions in perhaps somewhat different language, it'was privileged. Chbistohuxcm, Oot* 4 In the Supreme Court, James Farquhar, accusjd of malicious injury to property, was discharged, no bill having been returned by ttje Grand Jury. John Hughes pleaded guilty to forging and uttering a cheque for £B, and was sentenced to i years' penal servitude.