WESTLAND COUNTY – TREASURER'S "IRREGULARITIES."

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 543, 17 August 1869, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY - TREASURER'S "IRREGULARITIES."

(Eron the West Coast Times.) At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Hokitika, cm "Wednesday, Greorce "Winter was charged, on the information of Conrad Hoos, Esq., Chairman of the County Council of Westland, with having on the 2Gth November last, stolen the sum of £2500, moneys belonging to his emplovers—the Corporation of the County Council and the inhabitants af Westland. Mr Harvey, the County Solicitor, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr South for the accused, who was allowed a seat in the body of the Court. Mr Harvey opeued the case, statin" that he was unable to go far into it, as the examination of the boohs would be a work of time. He would, however, adduce some evidence, and then ask for a remand. The following evidence was given:—

Conrad Hoos : I am Chairman of the County Council of "Westland. I know the defendant. He was Countv Treasurer and Receiver of Revenue, and paid by the Corporation of the inhabitants and Council of the Comity of AVestlaiid. The duties were to receive the revenue, to pay the expenditure, and to keep correct accounts. I had a conversation with him last Monday morning. He called on me at my office. I told him that I had heard that morning that some irregularities had been discovered in the Treasury, and I begged him to make a confession and to inform me of the extent. He admitted to me that there was a deficiency, aud then I asked him tie amount, and he said £2500. That was the whole of the conversation. I have not been able to ascertain where the deficiency has arisen. It will take some time to do this. Edward "Wilson Patten : lam Collector of Customs and Auditor for the County of "Westland. I produce the statement of accounts signed and declared correct by Mr "Winter up to October 31st. The balance then in the bank was £5751 4s. It was the County Paymaster's account, in account with the Colonial Government, I produce the bank book, andiuitl find no entry of £3,700 paid in, but there is an entry of that amount paid out. Thero is also an entry of £2051 4s paid out. Those two sums make the balance £5751 4s. There area good many cheques, amounting in tie whole to £2OOO, which would put the balance on the other side. On the 21st November, IS6S, a cheque for £2OOO was paid into this account. It was the County Treasurer's cheque drawn on the County Treasurer's disbursenent account. Thei'e is no entry of corresponding disbursements in the cash book. I have examined the book. The books are not made up in such a way that the position of the County Treasurer with regard to the County funds can be defined. It will take at least a fortnight to do this. I wish to explain that on the 31st October the balance instead of being £5751 4s, as stated, it ought to have been £775145. Mr Harvey applied for a remand for a week, in order to enable the accounts to be thoroughly gone into. It would be a work of time, but all duo diligence would be used. The County Chairman had obtained the permission of the General Government to retain the services of Mr Garvin, and he would go through the accounts with the auditor.

Mr South did not object to the remand, and he was requested by Mr "Winter to state that the latter would be willing to render all the assistance he could in elucidating the accounts. With regard to the bail, he trusted that the amount would be lowered, as, in a place like this, it was difficult to get such an amount. _ The Magistrate said that the principle he had always gone upon was, what amount of bail was necessary to secure the attendance of the accused? and he had always thought the amount should cover the sum

alleged to be deficient. He would not depart from that principle, and the bail would be the accused in £3OOO, and two sureties in £ISOO each. The accused was remanded for eight days, bail being taken for his appearance in the amount fixed by the Magistrate. •■ » A minister having preached the same discourse to his people three times, one of his constant hearers said to him after service—' Doctor, the sermon you gave us this morning having had three several readings, I move that it now be passed.' Wiiex is a Max Dbunk?—The "Wilkinson (Minnesota) Superior Court has decided when a man is ' legally drunk.' Said the judge : 'lt is not necessary that a man should be wallowing in a ditch, or bumping his head against your posts, that you may know him to be drunk, but whenever he begins to tell the same thing over twice, then he's drunk!'