A STRANGE CUSTOM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1744, 24 July 1884, Page 2

A STRANGE CUSTOM.

In New Caledonia (says the«SydneA Morning Herald's' correspondent)., ontF of the strangest customs in connection with matters touching the law is- that for certain offences a person sentenced to imprisonment for a short term (not exceeding a month) can " take it but' 1 at leisure—that is to say, he. is not compelled to go to gaol straight away, » but can do a few days now and a few 7 days again, as it suits him. He.jiiust ' complete the sentence is all the restriction imposes. Tim majority of the people-under sentence of this sort drop round to the locb.up on a Sunday. On wet Sundays business is very brisk at the prisons,.. All-sorts of people come round to.takeiu% : 'out, and in.the course of a heavy winter a luai can get through a month... of wet Sundays very comfortably. ■, Occasionally people forget to finish" lip their terms, and this .sometimes leads to awkward results. : A little while ago* man who some six months before l» been sentenced to be imprisoned for a month went on board a steamer intending to tako a trip across to Syduey. He had not kept tally of his days in gaol, and had quite forgotten the matter. He had not •however been long on board before—just a/i the vessel was about to start—a gendarme' came on board and arrested him. He had \ three days gaol yet to do 'before his * month was finished,. From the year 1850 to 1833 no less a sum than £66,247,241 was" paid to dukes, marquises, earls, and their relatives. All right minded persons object to the Beauforts receiving another '£540,000, or the Bedfords' £553,200 the Graftons £1,115,850. the Marlboroughs £633,250, the Bichmonds £1,600,500, the Rntlands' £371,900, the Wellingtons £1,425,500, tho Waterfords £1,30(1,200, the Courtowu £650,400, the Greys £1,069 500, tho Hopetouns £ 1,039,800, tho Kimberleys £1,296,100, the Mintos £1,220,942,' for being nothing more than idle pensioners on the .nation. Among the signs of progress in Maniv toba is the foundation of a quartern review, to be styled the " IllnstrateT North-west Quarterly," in which historical scenes in the history of the province will form the chief subjects for the writer and illustrator. A rather amusing incident (says the *** ' Western Star') occurred at the sitting - of tho Resident Magistrate's /Court during the hearing of the case O'Brien v. Carroll—an action for making use of indecent language. Mr Finn, who appeared for complainant, requested one of the Celestial witnesses to give the Court an illustration of the way in which defendant caught hold of his client. The man of law placed himself alongside the witness-box, and invited the almond-eyed deponent to give a practical exhibition of defendant's alleged amatory proceedings. " John" responded by placing- his arm round ™ the waist of the learned counsel and giving him a squeeze exclaiming at the same time " Likee thai!" : The.gentlemau of the long robe seemed a little uncomfortable while in the tender'embrace, but was actually ma™ to blush all face and nude when a wag in the body of the Court interjected that word so hard to spell,and so .. peculiar-'to pronounce, but which will / be recognised as the word used'by the ■ rustic swain when pokinghisi sw'qetheatfc gently in the ribs. Tha Court was fairly convulsed from the grave and reverent occupant of the Bench to the constable in attendance, who was some little time before he could control'himself sufficiently to call "Silence in the Court."