The only civil case heard was Faimatlm Collier, being a claim of £25 for value of hone sold to defendant. '

Judgment was given for plaintiff for full amount and costs.
CORRESPONDENCE.
MR. WILLIAMS AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE LTTTELTO.V TIMES. SiR.-Some time ago I wrote a letter to the Lytulton Times, in which I referred to a report in that paper, of the 27th November last, shewing that the City Council de clined taking proceedings against myself and others for the x recovery of the rates. Since then a case was heard before Mr. Bowen, when he gave judgment against me, and with leave to appeal; the draft special case was drawn the next dav and sent to Dr Foster the day after; it was then let dovrn for argument, and after one or two hearings, judgment was deferred, but in thecourse°o£ the hearing bis Honor expressed a strong opinion in favour of having a special ca«e taken to the Court of Appeal, and I imme diately acted upon this, and removed Allen's case by certiorari, in order that the judgment of the Court of Appeal might be obtained. In consequence of the vacation intervening, the certiorari was not returnable until the Ist of May, but in order that no delay might oscur I filed the return and entered an appear ance on the 25th April, so that the City Council's legal adviser, had the whole of the vacation to prepare his declaration, andlfiled the papers on the 25th of March, thereby giving him a week to engross his declara tion, in order that it might be served on the Ist of May. It is now the eighth of May, and no step whatever has been taken in that case.
