LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 335, 19 March 1863, Page 2

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES’ COURTS. Wanganui. Before D. S- Durie Esq., R, MMarch 12- Robt. Atkinson v. Martin Howard. Pursuer claimed £1 for a sheep of his which defendant’s dog had Defendant admitted the fact.. Judgment tor £1 and costs 7s 6d. Before D. S. Durie, Esq. R.M.J T. Waters,. TB. Taylor, W. H. Watt, Ekp-s., J.Ps. Roht. Daniell v. Stephen Ralph Matthews. This was a case of assault Pursuer, a tinsmith, lodged in defendant’s house, and on Monday the 9th inst. was taking away a teapot, which he had been mending, when Mrs. Matthews cried! out to her husband, “ Bob is going away with a teapot. ’ ’ Defendant laid hold of Daniell,. while his wife wrested ’ the teapot out of his hand, and struck him on. the head with it, cutting it severely. Defendant, admitted the. assault, but pleaded provocation given by pursuer. He was fined os and costs 14s. Before the above, and John Handley, Es.p J.PMarch 16. Wm. Emony v. Geo. Long. The parties belong to the pilot station. The afternoon previous the men there had 'an argument about seamanship, which grew so hot that .they came to ; biows. Long struck liis mate, Win. Crowe, knocking him down, .and . when...Emony came to the rescue struck him twice under the chin with his fist. He then got hold of a piece of scantling, and put both his. opponents to rout; he was the worse of liquor. Fined 10s and costs 9s. Before Thos. Waters and John Handley, Esqrs., J.Ps. March 17. Taylor, Watt, & Co. v. R. George ; debt £4B 8s 7d ; judgment confessed. John Pawson v. R. George ; debt £22 Is lid ; judgment' confessed. Wm. Dives and H. Gaby v. Ib George and John Lever ; debt £2O 14s ; judgment confessed. Taylor, Watt, and Co. v. Lever.and Co. ; debt £39 7s Id ; judgment confessed. Thos. Henson v. John Dahderson ; debt £lO. This was a balance due for a cart sold to defendant. Judgment for the amount and, costs, £1 11s. 7 ‘ Rangitikei,! March 5, 1863. Before Waiter. Bulier, Esq., R.M. William Galpin v. William Gray. An action for the value of fencing stakes and standing scrub destroyed ‘by fires on the 28th and 29th November last. Adjoiumed case. Damages laid at £lO. Many witnesses examined ; much conflicting evidence. Judgment given for 15s and costs. • . ~ . • . ‘ .

Whale v. Rayuer. Damages £2O. A claim for the value of a crop of standing

■wheat destroyed' by defendant's cattle This case had been adjourned for further evidence as to the amount of; damage* &c. Judgment for ss-and costs, being full, amount of damage proved, jhe.Court explained.fully the law; relating-to cattle trespass;, and.pointed out how and to what extent the questipus offenced or unfenced land would influence decisions in similar cases. 7 . • . Tltiku . Matiaha: ,vt / Hill.', .Debt 1 Os, amount, ottwo days’ horse hire- ■ Settled out of court. ■-... i, ‘ ' ; ' i :V Pekamu ®. Richaid Hammond. Debt £l O 13s. Claim for balance of wages due to sawing party. Accounts submitted to the G'ourt; set off put in by defendant. Case adjourned to next sittings at request of defendant for evidence on the puly disputed :point, cash advances. - NATIVE CIRCUIT GOURT/ ' Manawatu,March 9, T 8.63. Before Walter Buffer, Esq., RbM.,’ and Eiglit Native Assessors (appointed under the Native Circuit Courts Act, 1858). - Nerehana Te Whare v. WiriTiana Par tertahuna. Crim. con., damages laid at .£SO; Large number of natives in at tendance, many witnesses examined, much discussion among the- assessors on. the Bench,’ finally judgment delivered for £2O and costs, a fortnight being allowed by the Court for j ayment. . - Another case of damages, for injury sustained from the bite of a dog;, settled by arbitration;. -

The Common School.— We learn that the Committee, on going their annual rounds- with their- subscription list’ last Monday, niet almost everywhere with a kindly welcome- and a ready donation ; the refusals were few and far between, and a considerable sum was collected. It may be remembered that the inhabitants are asked to subscribe, in order that the fees charged may be such as to put education within the reach of those least able to afford paying for it, and that those w r ho cannot pay at all may be educated gratis. Care of course is taken by the Committee that those who are on the gratis list are such as otherwise would receive no educa tion whatever ; but the applications of this kind being few and the circumstances not doubtful, such cases give li tie trouble. The Comtiiit bee are also anxious to keep the school on its present footing, in order that it may obtain the benefit ai'ising from the'-'-' educational ’ bequest’ of .the late Ir. George Bees, who left a large part of his property, after the decease of Mrs. Rees, for the support of such schools as might then exist inWanganui, established under the provisions of the Provincial Education Act. -It may be a long time—may it be so 1—‘ until the school be benefited by Dr. Rees’ munificence, but the bequest is worth waiting for, amounting, as will.do to £4OO or £SOO a year; aud it becomes the townspeople to see that th eir negiect, does not .deprive-them of this endowment. So important is it, for this end, that the school should be maintained on its present footing; that we think it well’ worth the consideration of the community, whether it would not be better to impose a small tax on themselves for this purpose than run the risk of losing what must prove an important boon to the in-' habitants for generations; Narrow Escapes. —On Saturday afternoon Mrs. Adamson, fell off Gerse’s Wharf into the river, but was rescued from her perilous situation by a soldier of the 5 7th regt. named John Smith, who happenedto be ou the wharf, and swam in to her rescue.

On tlie afternoon previous (Friday), an other private soldier, named Carr, parform ed an equally chivalrous act in saving a son of W. H. Newland’s Esq. D, A. C. G. from a watery grave. He is a boy of about seven years-' of age, and fell off the same, wharf into the river, Carr was in a canoe. not far off,. and, seeing the. boy fall, immediately jumped in,. and with considerable difficulty laid hold of him and brought him up after he had been about ten minutes in the water. He was- carried into the Commercial Hotel, and the use of the ordinary means restoiv ed animation.

We understand it is the intention of Major Logan to write to the Humane Society, repi esenting the noble conduct of these men, with the vieAv of obtaining for them a medal, or other mark of honour. - .

Government Prize-Firing. —This lias now been completed here, except that the ties have not been tired off, and as this will be done oh Saturday, we defer publishing the list till it is complete. 29 persons fired, making au average of 211 per man, the highest score being 39, made by Capt. Porter and Corporal Armstrong, and the lowest 9. It'will be remembered that the distances are 300, 400, and 500 yards, 5 shots at each distance, and that a point is allowed for each hit in addition to the value of the shots as bull’s eyes, centres, or outers. The Shipping of Sheep and Cattle. —Looking at the extent to which this trade has been developed of late, it strikes us with surprise that there are no regulations laid down, and no facilities afforded, for its being carried on. Cattle are driven in at all hours of the day through the streets to the river’ bank, to the great terror and considei able risk of women-and children who happen to meet them. Should not some restriction be put on the driving-of cattle into the town,- both’ks time and J route T The Town Board should look after the safety of the lieges within the precincts of the town. Then,; again, there is no proper yard or pen into which the beasts cap be driven until they-are shipped and this also not only causes expence to the shippers, but risk of accident to passengers. Why shonld not some proper erection be put up, which would obviate this danger and expence ?

It will be remembered that there was a case t before the Resident Magistrate’s Court lately, in which a Maori obtained damages, for injury done to his canoe by some cattle which were in process of shipment. The Maori’s ignorance of law might be a reason for his obtaining some compensation, although it was. no reason that that compensation should be made by the party shipping the cattle, who did all in his power to prevent the accident. However, there is a very sim pie remedy for such a case in future, in a notice painted on a board in Maori and English, and put up at the place where cattle, are wont to be shipped, to the effect that canoes or boats left at that place Are at the risk of their owners.in case of damage. Why should not this simple remedy be adopted, and thus such accidents be prevented in future 1 Town Board —A considerable part of the Town Belt has been let for longer or shorter periods. A block of 140 acres near and including the Race-course lias been let to Mr. F. Hewett for one year for £2O. His was the only tender. Mr. Lambes has got 59 acres of swamp for two years at £2O a year, on the understanding that he drains the ground ; other smaller lots have been let at 10s. to 13s. per .aore ; and there is still some of the land not taken up The roadway along Taupo Quay is progressing, greatly improving the appearance of the street, .but the full benefit will only be realised after the winter rains have set in. The Ngatiruanui.- —A letter came the other day from Tamati Raiikawa, chief of this tribe, to the Wajtotaras, informing them that the Governor had landed at Taranaki, that the Europeans' had occupied the ground .at Waireka, and that a great meeting was to be held to decide on the steps to be taken should the rataraimaka block be attempted to be occupied by the troops. [Letters from the same chief have been been sent to all the chiefs of the Wanganui King tribes, stating that 500 soldiers had encamped near Waireka, and that he was about to proceed with 150 men to the Tataraimaka to occupy it and to resist the troops should they attempt to seize it. The Wanganui tribes are to hold meetings on the subject shortly. The Waitotaras hold a meeting tomorrow to decide if help r is to be sent ; and it is understood that the majority of them will immediately go north. The Waitotara Block.— We xmder- • stand that his His Honor the Superintendent has nearly completed the negociation for the purchase of this block. The deed of sale ha s been signed by some of the owners including Rio, the principal chief, who has taken it home with him to obtain the signatures of the others' interested. The purchase money is £2500, of which £SOO was paid four years ago, and the extent of good available land is supposed to be about 30,000 acres, tlie best part of the block having’ been reserved by the natives. There are besides about 20,000 acres of bush and a large extent of sand hills on the shore. The Gaol. —lt will be observed from an advertisement that tenders for the additions to the Gaol are to be received up to the Ist of June.- This extension of time has been given in order that intending contractors may have opportunity to look about them for material. 'J he enlargement proposed will give an additional four cells, which will, enable the gaoler to classify the prisoners—drunk-, ards, criminals, and debtors being kept in separate compartments, and women being kept by themselves. The gaol will also be made secure.

Mataraua Church. —A meeting was held on Saturday last r of the settlers on No. 2 line, to consider the, propriety, of building a church. As the meeting had been; advertised only two days before, and no hour had been mentioned in the advertisement, the attendance was blit small; and it was resolved to adjourn the meeting to Saturday the 28th inst. at 2 o’clock. We understand, that 5 acres of land have been given as a site for a church by Moser, Esq. ; but as this grant has been made specially to the Church of England, there is a difficulty in building on the ground, a church common to all denominations, which is what is wanted. A correspondence has taken place with Bishop Abraham on the subject, and that dignitary states very distinctly that any church built on the said land must belong to the Church of England ; but that if a building is wanted in the meantime for a place of worship in common, it may be erected in name of a schoolhouse,. and may continue thus for several years until it is wholly appropriated to the Anglican worship. The bulk of the settlers, however, being Presbyterians, are averse, we believe, to having a building erected, of the use of which they may thus be deprived at any time, and as various pieces of ground have been offered without any conditions—one settler being willing to sell land for the purpose, at Is. an acre, and another having offered an acre free, together with a donation of .£50 —it is likely that the Chapel will not be built on 'Mr. Moser’s land. The liberal feeling displayed by the Mataraua settlers is highly creditable to them, and we trust that the harmony hitherto existing will not be endangered, but rather confirmed, by this endeavour to provide a suitable place of worship. The services have hitherto been conducted in the school room by the Revd. Messrs Taylor of Putiki, and the Bevd. Messrs Nioholls, Watkin, and HoggofWanganui; and the . Pulpit of the proposed Chapel will certainly not be rendered less sacred, but rather more so, by the exhibition of a liberal. Christian spirit given in its being occupied on the successive Sabbaths of the month by the ministers of three different denominations differing indeed in outward forms, but one in spirit and one in aim.

Dramatic Entertainment.—lt will be seen by vn advertisement that Mr, Web-

ate? takes his "J/jyrsfit on the eyqningmf Tuesday next. The programme is attrac-: tive ; and from the able manner-in which - Mr. Webster has ministered to the amusement of the frequenters of this series'of, entertainments, we havef'no' doubt that this opportunity of testifying their appreciation of his talents will be generally takei. advantage of. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS^.-.. On Friday, the day of nomination, a considerable number of electors assembled at tlie Court house, Wanganui, to nominate candidates r or tlie two vacant seats of this.district in the Provincial Council. D. S. Durie, Esq , Returning . Officer', having read the Election Writs, called on those present to proceed with the nomination of candidates ; whereupon Mr. T; B- Taylor irroposed John William Peake, Esq., as a-proper person to represent the district. Mr. Handley seoonded the proposal. Mr. Sheriff Harper proposed James Duff Hewitt, Esq., as another candidate, and- his nomination was seconded, by Mr, H. I. Jones. ‘ There being no other candidates proposed, the gentlemen .named , were declared •by the Returning Officer duly elected. • ... Mr. Peake, in returning thanks for the honour conferred on him, said that, as an old settler, lie was well acquainted with the wants of tlie district, and would use his,best endeavours ,in the Council to obtain the expenditure in the district of the money that might be voted for the public works here. •Mr.. Hewitt also expressed himself as desirous to use his influence in getting the money expended which was voted, and said that tie would do what lie could towards obtaining a bridge, and generally advancing the prosperity of the district. A vote of thanks having been passed to the Returning Officer, tlie meeting separated.

TURAKINA. Mutual Improvement Society. —A lecture was delivered to this association on the 3rd inst., by the Rev. W. J. Watkin, of Wanganui. The subject was the Conquest of Britain by the Romans.” It was both interesting and instructive.