(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION^ Auckland, October 81. A rather important matter cropped up before Justioe Gillies in Chambers. The facts are of the simplest nature, but the legal question is one of,the widest interest. Messrs Graves and Aitken ordered from England a shipment of goods (chemicals) and gave a bill of exchange against them. The goods arrive in the colony, and the bill of exchange and bill of lading com* into the hands of the Bank of New South Wales. The bank refuses to deliver the bill of lading until the bill of exchange is paid, but the bill of exchange is Btill current. Aitken brings his action of detenue. His Honor ex pressed opinion that there is no right to a bill of lading until the bill is paid, although the bill of lading may be delivered by act of courtesy

His Excellency the Administrator of the Government has appointed Ebeneaer Baker, Esq., J. P., to be Sheriff for the district of Wellington, vice A. S. Allan, Esq. j John Le Marchant Carey, Esq., to be Sheriff for the district of Marlborough, vice J. J. Turnbull, Esq.; and Alexander Lean, Esq., J.P., to be Sheriff for the district of Canterbury, vice A. R. Bloxam, Esq. These appointments to date from the Ist proximo. Mr W. W. Baker has been appointed clerk in the Department of Justice, vice T. W. Willis, tr mitarred. The " Chronicle" notes that in the course of those witty and sensible " asides " with which Judge Richmond generally, enlivens the dry proceedings of his Court, his Honor remarked during the sitting at Wanganui on Monday last week that he sometimes fancied that a man's right-hand breeches pocket was the " ultimate Beat of human consciousness.'' In his expe rience, he frequently found that drunken man was very sensitive in that region when " too far gone" to remember anything else. The " Dunedin Evening Stat" reports that Mr Robinson, Resident Magistrate, has given an important decision affecting the Employ ment of Females Act. Mr Toohey, draper, of Oamaru, was charged with a breach of the Act. but it was clearly proved that the girls had been kept in the workroom beyond hours against his express injunction, the head milliner having acted on her own authority. 