AUCKLAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT,) Saturday, July 18.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 341, 21 July 1874, Page 2

AUCKLAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT,) Saturday, July 18.

In referring to the charge of arson against Alexander Brown m a previous letter I predicted that no conviction would follow his committal, 'and such has provo.i to bo the case after n tedious trail of five days. Some difference of opinion appeured to exist in the minds of jurymen as they were over an hour in considering their verdict. However, that of "Hot guilty" was the issus of their deliberations winch the ju Igo delivered without comment. There is no sympathy with the police, notwithstanding their fmluro to procure a conviction ; on tlio contrary, there was generally expressed exultation that they would not get the £500 rovnrd. This feeling had us origin partly in the dislike felt against the system of offering rewards to police officers, and partly to the action of tl.o woman G-loeson, who had been relied upon by the polico as the "trump card" for the pro aooutioM, but who afterwards, in consequonce of some al leged breach of faith, so trunincid her evidence as to render it worthless, One thing is very certain, that thero was a terriblo amount of iurd swearing. The inquest held at ti,o Railway Terminus Hotel to inquire into the o.uise of death, of Eliza Battersea, the unfortunate woman who cohabited with the man Dyer, at Pakiri, who is eluiged \sith pouiiug kerosene over her, revealed an amount of S3 sleniatio cruelty that 19 shockiii" to contemplate, and wliicl-i appears to Jiavo been caused through jealousy. The witnesses described the victim of Dyer's cruelty as presenting a " hideous tpcctacle." Thi> piisoner is a man boidowig on lifty years. JI 8 displayed excessive uervoi.sncbs and pertmlmtion of manner at the exuwiiratiou before t he Coroner 011 Sjutiu day. The unusual

cuuuinutancd hippened (when the foreman announced to the (Joioner the %ci diet " Guilty of murder") of two of the jurymen rising and protesting, stating that they did not agreo with it. The Coroner theiefore again requested them to retire, when they ultimately returned with a verdict of "wilful murder" against Chailes Dyer, who was then fully committed to take his trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supieme Court. Tho contest, for the honor of representing Waitemata in the General Assembly has been the occasion of much acrimony between the candidates, Messrs Mucfarlune. Bees, Yon der Hyde and Mujor Storey. A " scene " took place between the two former at tho nomination which has never been equalled here. Perbonuhties were so freely indulged in that a breach of the peace was imminent on several occasions and the authority of tho Eeturning Officer >-et at naught. It bad its origin in a sluiiderous placard issued against Mr Kees, in tho publication of which Mr Macfarlane admitted having been instrumental. This was considered sufficient justification by Mr Bees to exercise a little license in his address, and it must bo confessed to the utter discomfiture and annihilation of Mr Macfarlane. In tho most scathing terms Mr Kees denounced every questionable action of his oppoI nent since his arrival in 'he colony, not forgetting to dwell upon hU treatment of Craig and Machattie. The feeling of the meeting was entirely with the speaker, the more so as Macfarlanc^oflered no defence beyond calling his castigator '•a liar and scoundrel." The expose is thought to have quite killed any chnnce Mr Macfarlane had of being retui ned. . Mujor Storey lias since retired, and Mr Yon der Hejde is i looked upon as the " coming man," it being hinted that Mr Keea will not go to the poll. Tho " Good Templar" organization has receivad several recruits from new arrivals. The other night one hailing from the West of England entertained a meeting with the following speech :— Well, Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I was a Goop Templar before I came out hero. Now you must know I was at one time a great lover of a pint of porter. I liked porter better than ale, because there was more body in it like. Well, after I turned Good Templar, one night my missus says to I, " William, I have got a nice cow-cumber for your supper." "Eat it, misses," says I. That's the thing. Have got a mgen to slice up with it? — which of course she had, and placed that and bread and cheese before me. So says I, without thinking, I'll get a pint of porter to wash it down. (Chilling silence.) Well, I got a pint of porter , and having taken a good mouthful of cheese and cowcumber, I wiped my lips and laid my hand on the pint of porter, and was about to put it to my mouth when the thought rushed across my mind that I was a Good Templar. I dropped the porter without touching it. (Loud cheers ) There was ?be devil looking me m the face, most enticing like, with a fine head on it, beautiful to see. Well, says Ito myself, a pint is but a pint after all. It were a rare struggle, I can tell you, Mr Chairman, but I got over the temptation. I never drank that pint of porter after all. (Loud cheers.) I handed it ovor to my wife, and she drank it !