MANGAPAI. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) December 8.
Mn. Scotfc, E.M., held his first court at James' Hotel, Mangapai landing-place, to-day ; I annex particulars of the initiatory case. I merely refer to it here to say, that if the Government has seen fit to appoint these functionaries, there certainly should also go with them a staff of some kind to uphold the majesty of the law. Exhibitions of the kind 1 witnessed to-day, are not at all calculated to impress the beholder with a due respect for " law and order." It was purely impossible for Mr. Scott to repress the irrelevant and, indeed, occasionally not very charitable queries aud answers between the parties concerned ; nor did the party against whom the jndgnient" was given, suppress the expression of his indignation, but gave vent to it in rather umnensurpd terms. Mr. Scott's 1 patience and tact were fully exercised. Very few such trials as this, and the case ■would, I think, convince e\ en your Wangario corres pondent, that the position is no sinecure. After the court, a public meeting was held, attended by about twenty settlers, for the purpose of requiring that a public body should be put in control of the district school. After considera ble discussion, Mr. Carter (for the Wesleyan body) said, that the committee which was hitherto formed of that congregation, vacated their ofliee on the lost day of the year, and that the public of the district would be entitled to elect one of its own choosing, irrespective of creed or sect. That concession, though indeed but a right, will, I trust, prevent whal pro mised to be pretty much of a civil war amongst us.
MANGAPAI DISTRICT RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT. CUNNINGHAM v. M'CULLOUG.
