THE COURTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 269, 27 March 1873, Page 7

THE COURTS.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COUUT LA.WRENCE. Toesday, Makch 20. (Before His Worship the Mayor.) James Toban for being drunk and disorderly was fined 55., or in default of payment, two days imprisonment with hard labor. Friday, March 21. (Before Vincent Pyke, Esq., R.M., and Dr. Stewart, J.P.) James Tibin, on a charge of vagrancy, was sentenced to 7 days hard labor. Tuesday, Marcix 25. (Before Vincent Pyke, Esq., R.M., and the Mayor. John Feraro, charged with cutting timber on the 26th February, at Watsons Bush, without being duly licensed so to do, was fined 20s. and costs 36a. 6d., with the alternative of 14 days hard labor in Lawrence gaol. Thomas White was charged upon the information of John Grnndy with using offensive language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. Mr. Copland appeared for plaintiff. Complainant stated that on the 18th March, while panning <iff gold at Ilavelock, defendant, who was a- neighbor, came out of hi 3 hut and used most offensive language, threatening to drown him (complainant). He (complainant) dared him to do it, and defeni dant then blackguarded him again. He (complainant) had given no provocation to defendant, and was in no particular fear of him, but as he had been annoyed several times by defendant, he wished him bound over to keep the peace. A Chinaman was called, but there being no interpreter present was not examined. J>efen<laiit said he considered plaintiff' ought" to be bound over to keep the peace as well as him, as, on the occasion specified, the blackguarding was mutual* Mr. Pyke admonished defendant on the impropriety of his conduct, warned him of j the result of a repetition of it, and dis- \ missed the case. Clark v. Draper* —Tn giving judgment in thia case, Mr. Pyke said he wished to correct an erroneous impression which j appeared . to have gone abroad, that witnesses attending his Court were entitled to 10s. per day. Ton shillings was in reality the maximum, and a witness might be entitled to only Is. a day. By a recent administrative reform, the maximum expenses allowed to witnesses in the Supreme Court had been reduced to ss. per diem ; and probably, next session of the General Assembly, the maximum for witnesses attending the Resident Magistrate's Court would be reduced to 2s. 6d. In the present case he thought plaintiff was entitled to ss. per day, and judgment would therefore be given for 16s. and costs of Court, in addition to the sum paid into Court.