DUNSTAN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 370, 4 July 1874, Page 3

DUNSTAN.

(From our own, Correspondent.)

On Thursday last, in the absence of our Resident Magistrate, the case of the Police v. Hensburgh was heard before- Messrs. Hazlett and Naylor, J.P.'s. The case was an information by the Police against tho defendant for selling, or having exposed for sale, on his premises, known as the Halfway House, certain fermented and spirituous liquors. The information was lodged by Constable Pierpoint, of Alexandra, who deposed that when passing he saw several men inside the house with glasses before them on the counter. He went in and found some brandy and other liquors on the shelf, which he seized. Mr. Wilson, the defendant's solicitor, argued that the case must fall to the ground, as there was no evidence of any sale. Their Worships held that the exposure was proved, and fined the defendant £1. Considering the strictness of the liquor laws, and the heavy penalties sometimes imposed for breaches thereof, their Worships may be credited with dealing leniently with the defendant, as under the circumstances it was almost their duty to do. The defendant is a man well up in years, and not able to earn a livelihood by hard work, and has only a few months since left the hospital, after along and severe illness. It is known to everyone who knows the housej which formerly used to be licensed, that the trade that is to be done there will not pay for a license, and if he was endeavoring to earn a lonely living by selling a drop to a traveller passing, or others who may give him a call, perhaps more for the sake of charity than for the sake of the drink, and keeping as he has always done his place clear of rowdies and loafers, the harm done by him to the revenue or individuals did not much require the interference of the police. Hitherto, to the credit of the Otago police force be it Baid, it is seldom we hear of their stooping to the degradation of sly-grog informers, and had Constable Pierpomt just passed on without calling to see what these j men had got in the glasses that were before them, or how they could get them filled, the vigilance, the efficiency, or the high reputation of the police of Otago would not have seriously suffered. If officiousness leads to promotion in the service, this added to his famous exploit oi attempting to arrest

Graham on the eve of his wedding day for being a little top-heavy, will surely soon procure him the stripes. The adjourned appeal water case between Feraud and Holt comes on again on Thursday. Of what transpired during the two or three days of the previous sitting I need not touch upon, as tho whole may be summed up shortly when finished. One bit of humor I may mention, which was a sort of diversification from the continual rehearsal. It rau thus: "Do you swear so and so, and you have sworn such and BUch ? " Mr. Feraud, getting excited over the examination of a witness, was rebuked by the Judge, who said the witness was answering his questions fairly. He excused himself by saying that he could not help it, as it was the case with all Frenchmen. "If that be so," said tho Judge, "it would be well to have a few Prussians in attendance.

Mr. Cox, of the Port Phillip HoteJ, has commenced to roof his stone cottage in Cre-quet-street, where he intends to li ve privately, having leased the hotel for 7 or 10 years, at a rental of £150 a year ; valuation to be paid for furniture and insurance policies kept up ; possession to be taken on Ist July. Rumor has it that the agreement is off, and that Cox is likely to pocket the £50 deposit ; but, as the time is not yet up, I cannot say for certain.

The severe frosts of late and now have about stopped sluicing operations. Mr. Holt, the coalpit owner, is singularly unlucky. After heavy expenses for those last two years, he had succoeded in getting the water down again, and a few tons of coal out, when everything was frozen up, and no water to drive his machinery. There were two days there was no^a drop of water running in the town. , The Municipal season is coming on, but beyoud a complaint that the citizens' roll was closep before some had the opportunity of qualifying themselves, and some reports of gigantic works to be done or initiated during the year, nothing as to the coming men has been done.

Mrs. Connew, the wife of a settler in the WaiJKeri Keri, died very suddeutly on the 29th. An inquest is to be held, which will no doubt disclose the cause.

The concert in aid of the hospital held this evening was not _so successful as regards attendance as the one lately held in aid of the school. The programme was equally as good, tho Choral Society receiving hearty applause.

Considerable dissatisfaction is felt by some relative to tho amendment of the Hospital Ordinance as to the election of surgeon ; and it was noted that several families would not be present at the concert, not render any aid to the institution on account thereof. lam not aware how far this was carried into effect. As regards the concert, certainly the attendance was small; but, as Provincial Ordinances are not like the laws of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not, I can only recommend such to take another stand in the matter, and not let the institution suffer for what they may consider to be the fault of any one man or body of men, but when opportunity offers let them endear or to get the obnoxious law repealed.