LOCAL ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

West Coast Times, Issue 266, 31 July 1866, Page 2

LOCAL ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

Tho " Press " gives us some information about the District Courts Bill now before tho General Assembly, which is of public interest. It says : — " The ni O 3t important of the bills yet brought forward is the District Courts Bill, by which the power of judges in these courts is extended in civil cases to L 250, and in criminal cases so as to equal that of tho English quarter sessions. It is especially to apply to the goldfields, where the amount of legal business is largo and the visits of a Judge of the Supreme Court infrequent. But a difficulty seems to -be found in bringing it into practical operation from the smallness of the salaries attached to tho office; Mr Stafford mentioned that two professional gentlemen had refused tho offer of a District Court ( Judgrship on the West Coast for that reason. Such a difficulty, however, may bo removed, if tho economical spirit of the House will permit, in a very simple and expeditious manner."

The adjourned meeting of the Memorial Committee is to be held at the Commissioner's Otficc, Sewoll street, this evening, at seven o'clock. We trust members of the committee will make it a point ,to attend, as it is very desirable that some progress shuukl bo reported without further delay.

The number and classification of prisoners iv the Westland District G-aol and tho old gaol, Revell street, on Saturday, tho 28th inst., aro as follow : — District Gaol : Under sentence from tho Supreme Court, twenty-sis ; imprisonment only, one ; on remand, two ; debtors, five ; total, thirty-four. At the old gaol : Under sentence from the Resident Magistrate's Court, twelve males and three females ; imprisonment only, three; on remand, four; total, nineteen males and three females. Total number of prisoners in both gaols, fifty-six. During tho week ending tho above date, there wero only four prisoners sentenced in tho Resident Magistrate's Court.

After a period of great duluess and depression, tho Bruce Bay district; again promises to create a slight stir amongst the niinersi although, wo trust, not to the same extent as during thelato disastrous rush to that locality. Yesterday a party arrivod overland from Okarita, with the intelligence that a now beach had been opened last week betweeen Jacob's (or tjie IVlakawiho) and tho Mahitahi livers. Our informant stated that the gold was struck quite accidentally, by a party of men ongaged iv cutting a tail race through the'beaoh to drain somo higher ground. They b«d veaohed to abaut hlsfh^t-o? mv% >$*"» » ▼$» <tf M» c^

md wus struck, which, upon exaini nai-io a, showed gold, and on being tested in the usual manner yielded from % dwt. to 1 dwt. to the shovel. Of course a paddock was at once opened, when it was found that a vein of black Band about eighteen inches thick and twelve feet wide, and' highly auriferous, had heen hit upon. The depth of sinking varies according to the inequalities of the beach, in some places it is only three, in others six feet. From the above it is evident that a new beach has been opened which will, in- all probability, pay those well who aro first on the ground to secure claims. It is, however, doubtful, whether tho payable ground will be of any extent, as the beaches in thatneighborhood have all been pretty well tested. We are inclined to think that one of those patches so common to Westland beaches has been .struck, and that by this time every inch of ground is monopolised by miners from Okarita and the adjoining localities.

At this soason of tho year, such weather as that of lust week could hardly be expected to continue without a breaKv^fclthough it was a delightful change from tho preceding stormy period, which brought trade almost to a standstill, and locked up the port for dayß, there were not a few who welcomed the rain on Sunday as a timely ai'rival, for considerable inconvenience was being experienced through the scarcity of water for domestic purposes. Empty cisterns abounded, and tho water carriers were driving a lucrative trade, as the rates they charged were something enormous. Rain, however, has fallon, and reacrvoiro of all kinds are again filled to overflowing — and, from tho appearance of the weather, with orery probability of continuing so for an indefinite) period. Not only in town was tho absence of rain beginning to aci prejudicially, but on the different goldfiohls serious consequences threatened, had the dry weather continued ; as the head races were fast drying up, and many of the sluicers in consequence were compelled to partly suspend operations. We never before noticed the Hokitika river so shrunk in volume, or running with less rapidity j and so powerless wsia it, on Sunday, to overcome tidal influence, that even at low water the river was decidedly brackish. On the same day, and from the same cause, a phenomenon was obsorved at the entrance, which never in ouv recollection occurred before, find one to which we should feel doubtful in giving credence, had it not been fetated to us on. good authority. Usually, there is a very rapid outward current constantly running between the Spits, but on Sunday the order of things was reversed, for Captain Wilson, of the Challenge, distinctly states that when between the heads, in his vessel, he noticed tho flood tide "running in, 1 ' and that there waß no outward current to speak of. With so little freshet to keep the bar clear of silt, wo are only surprised that tho entrance keeps in such a navigable condition; but this can be accounted for, from the fact that there has been mo sea rolling in to send the sand home. Yesterday, tho surf was much heavier than for many previous days, and fears wero entertained that the bar would close up, but as, during the afternoon, there was a corresponding* rise in tho river, we have no doubt that the freshet neutralised the surf, and that when tho channel is sounded to-day by the outwardbounders, it will be found quite as deep as it was when the last vessel ran inside.

The Provincial Government " Gazette " of the 23rd instant informs us that the townships of Goldsborough,(Waimea), Kaniori, Ross, and Okarita, are withdrawn from the operation of the Goklfields Act, and are now declared townships, to each of which has been extended (according to the same 'Gazette') the Canterbury Police and Slaughterhouse Ordinances. Slaughterhouse Inspectors are appointed to each :— Sergeants— Byrne, for Goldsborough ; Blanc, Kanieri; O'Donnel, Rosstown ; and M'Ennis, Okarita. ' We observe that Messw. Royse, Mudie and Co., who for years have been the Duuedin agents for tho M. A. and N. Z. s.s Company's boats, have established a branch business in Hokitika, and have taken the agency for the above line of steamers. Messrs. Henderson, Bonar and CoThave rented their a tores to Messrs Royse, Mudio and Co., so that no confusion is likely to arise from this change. Messrs. Henderson and Bonar have taken offices at Messrs Wilson and BurneU's bonded store, Gibson's Quay.

One of the most shocking railway accidents ever placed upon record has occurred lately in Victoria, on the Government lino to Ballarat. On the arrival of the night train from Melbourne to that place, the man whose duty it was to inspect the carriages, was horrified by discovering the severed leg of a man entangled in part of the break- vau, with a Wellington boot and a portion of the trousers still upon it. Information was at once given to the chiof officers at the station, and an ongine, with several lamps attached to it, was at once sent down'the line in the direction of G-ee'ong, to search for the remains of the unfortunate individual who, it was too evident, had been run over and killed. On approaching the Lethbridge Station, a portion of the skull, and a little further on the rest of the remains of the poor fellow, were found reduced to an almost shapeless mass by the action of the wheels in passing over him. A good, gold watch and a small sum di nionoy were found upon the body, which was subsequently identified as that of Mr John Green, a chemist, who had carried on businoss in Bourke-street, and who was a well-known inhabitant of this On the day preceding that on which the dreadful accident — if accident vit were—oecurrod, tho unfortunate man left Melbourne for Ballarat, by tho 11.30 a.m. train. He was then accompanied, as far as the carriage door by a lady who requested the guard to have an eye upon him, as ho was not very well. In spite of this caution, however, which, by tho -way, does not appear to have beon properly understood, tho deceased, who was doubtless suffering under a temporary dorangeraeut of intelleofc, was allowed to wander a^ay from the train while it was stopping at Geeloug, and was no more heard of until tho next night, when he was seen upon the lino by a porter, and warned off. He then, it eeems, loft the line, but—whether acoidently or purposely it is now impossible to say— again got upon it, with tho melancholy roiult above detailed, Th 9 uofortuoato xnvi] Ic^res a wifs wjd. fire m