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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1028, 25 January 1879, Page 2

Rewi has just sent a messenger to Mokau, with instructions that the survey of the land which has been occupied by Europeans for some time is to be proceeded with. The first Hamilton Horse Sale will take place at Gwynne's Hamilton Hotel, to-day, at 1 p.m., when Mr J. S. Buckland will offer a number of useful heavy and medium draught horses, riding horses, hacks, &c. Annivebsaby Day Picnic — The Waikato Steam Navigation Company have made arrangements with the proprietors of the Mission Station, at Taupiri, to throw those grounds open to the Waikato people, for a monster picnic, on Wednesday next, the 29th inst. The Company have laid on the p.s. Delta, which will loavo Hamilton at 8.30 a.m., calling at Ngaruawahia, and leave Taupiri again for Hamilton at 5 pm. A Band of music will be provided, swings for the children, and cricket apparatus for adults, while a committee will be formed for getting up extempore sports upon the ground. Accidj-NTS will happen, says tho ' Dunedin Morning Herald.' We are told that in a public reading room the other day a gentleman, after prusing an illustrated newspaper, handed ifc to another, with a whisper that it contained the portraits of the Kellys. Immediately on his taking up the newspaper, the second gentleman looked at the illustration on the front page, and exclaimed — " Oh Lord, what a bad-looking set of vagabonds they are !" On bringing his glasses to bear upon the type, however, the second gentleman concluded he should have turned over a page or two, as he found that the faces which had hot prepossessed him were those of the Ministry, of New Zealand. Aiiii the i-i-iiGRANTS which arrived in Auckland, on Thursday last, says the 'Herald,' by the ship Maraval, from London, have been engaged, with the exception of two governesses. There are at present five families in tho barracks, but these are bespoken, and will proceed to Tairua on Monday nexfc. The demand for fche singlo men was greater than the supply, and many refused several good offers in the country, preferring to remain in town at a slightly reduced wage. Domestic servants commanded extreme rates — from 8s to I_s per week, with the proviso of no washing. Married couples, for up-country, were afc a premium ; in fact, these valued their servicss afc such a figure thafc none but rich settlers could look at them. Fancy, £72 per year and found, including good house accommodation for themselves and two children, being refused ! The couple having four children, the would-be employer afc lasfc offered to find for the whole family, but even this good offer was refused. The Murder ov Capt. MoIIiER. — Mr Justice Gillies delivered judgment afc the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, in the case of Thomas Rennell, who was brought up on Friday last under a writ of habeas corpus, to inquire as to the rights of the Courts of this colony to try the case in which he was charged with the murder of Captain Moller, on the island of Boutaritari, an island situated a few degrees north of the equator. His Honor, Mr Justice Gillies, in giving judgment, quoted the warrant of commitment, commanding the gaoler to keep Thos. Rennell, pending the Governor's pleasure, as also the amended warrant commanding the gaoler to keep him " until he can be sent to the colony of Fiji." His honor said, there was no doubt but thafc a felony had been committed, but showed fliat, through a defect in the law, there was no jurisdiction. Had the offence, continued Mr I Justice Gillies, been committed on the high seas, or within the jurisdiction of fche Admiralty, then the prisoner might have been triable under 12 and 13 Vict., c. 96, or 18 and 19 Vict., c. 91, section 21. Or if the prisoner had, within three months before committing the offence, been a seaman employed on board a British ship, he woidd, although the offence was committed on land out of Her Majesty's dominions, have been triable under sect. 267 of 17 and 18 Vict , c. 104. Or if the prisoner had been sent to this colony by warrant of any person having authority derived from Her Majesty in that behalf, he might have been triable here under 6 and 7 Vict., c. 94, sec. 4, it having beon declared by 38fch and 37th Vict., c. 51, sec. 6, lawful for Hor Majesty to exercise power and jurisdiction ovor her subjects within any island and places in the Pacific Ocean, &c. But upon a careful and, I may say, an anxious examination and review of all the statutes which might give power or jurisdiction to this Court to try the charge against the prisoner, I have failed to find any that oonf er that j urisdiction. Had I been ableto find even an apparent authority for assuming jurisdiction, I should, in the interests of public justice, has assumed it, leaving the Court of Appeal ultimately to determine the question. But I cannot find ovon an apparent authority, and I am, therefore, compelled, through a legislative defect, to permit a manifest failure of justice. The prisouey must be

discharged, but I trnst thafc the Government of the colony will take such measures as will prevent the recurrence of such an event. Appoint.. BNT op Clerk to the Hamilton BoROUon Council. — The date of the special meeting for the appointment of tho Clerk fco the Hamilton Borough Council has beon postponed from Monday evening nexfc, as agreed fco afc the last meeting of the Council, to the following evening — that of Tuesday nexfc, tho 28th instant. A meeting of the members of the Cambridge Troop of Waikato Cavalry Volunteers will be held this evening in the Volunteer Hall, Cambridge. It was intended thafc the advertisement should have reached us on Wednesday — in time for Thursday's publication of the Times, but the letter only reached us on Thursday, bearing the Hamilton postmark of that day, and, though written on the 2 1st, had evidently only left fche Hautapu postoffice on the 23rd. Tendebs for the formation of portions ot Bow and Wallis-streefcs will be received np to Saturday nexfc by the Chairman of the Raglan Town Board, on application to whom plans and specifications of the works may be seen. Tenders for clearing and ploughing 50 acres of fern land at Hautapu for Mr Paton will be received until Friday next. The tenders for making sections of swamp road between Ngaruawahia and Alexandra must be sent in today to the Chairman of the Tuhikaramea Road Board.