A Curious Action over the Game Laws.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 594, 14 April 1891, Page 2

A Curious Action over the Game Laws.

A SOCIETY LET IN FOR COSTS. (special to the standard.) ’ Wellington, last night. A curious action was decided at the R M. Court to day. Amm named Berwi-ig sued the Acclimatisation Society for £5O, being the alleged value of three stags’ heads, seized by tha Ringer of the 8 oiary from an auction room, where they were being offered for sale* The p uiutiff had a license to kill stags in the Wairarapt district between March 1 and Muy 10, 1889, aud had shot stags. He got the beads cured and st off rd by a Mr Ro is, and they were s-nt to the auction mart through a Mr Buckeridge. The Society being suspicious that u large trade in stags' heads win* being carried on by people without licenses, brought an action against Rose, of Mariinborough, among other psople, and the inquiries in connection therewith led the Ranger to trace the three heads now in question, which he had dressed for the plaintiff. Th- Ranger was instructed to seize the heads at Mr Reid’s auction rooms, which he at once did, and the plaintiff after some delay instituted the present proceedings. The counsel f>r the defence submitted that an offence had been committed in the offering of the heads for sale without a license to sell game, and further that the said game was being sold out of season, and tho Ranger was therefore ordered to seiza, and the plaintiff lost all right to thn game. It was further contended that all game was in law the property of the Chairman of the Society. Against these contentions it was urged for the plaintiff that the heads had ceased to be game after severance from the bodies of the stags, and as there was no proof of sale, no offence had been committed. Mr Robinson, R.M ,decided to defer his decision till to day, when he gave jn lament for £gl and costs, the amount of judgment to be £2 if the heals were returned within a week. The Magistrate said the Society had evidently acted on mistaken grounds all through.