CURIOUS CASE.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 4, 18 April 1877, Page 2

CURIOUS CASE.

The Btllarat correspondent of the Australasian relates the following :— " A curious and interesting scene baa iwt bef n enaoter) within and without the fclity Police Court, Mr Martin Bade, tobacconist, Start«street, was summoned under the 30th section of the Police Offences Statute, 1865. for that he, on the 4th in.«t, not being an apothecary, chemist, botcher, baker, pastrycook, or confectioner, did sell on that Sunday on* plug of tobacco. Mr Catkin, inspector* of police, appeare 1 to prosecnte, ana Mr • /'Dee defended Mr Bade. Mr G'Dee took objection to the prosecution* becaasi», according to his reading of til* clause, " the Incal authorities," to whom was entrusted the carrying oat of thesection, should have been the parties to lay the information, but the police magis* trate overruled the objection. Mr O'Dee then denounced the conduct of theGoi vernment in sending police about the city in plain clothes to entrap unwary citiiens* and then to enforce the law rigoroualy against them. Me also denounced thelaw against Sunday trading as a most iniquitioos measure as earned out in the colony, being partial in ita operation and tyranical in the spirit. He contended) that it a striot observance of the- Sunday as a sacred holiday was to be the. law, let. it he universal in its application* and apply to all classes of men and women, alike; a confectioner, a baker,, o# a, pastry cook had no more right to btpatfileged than a tobacconist. His arguments wereof no avail ; the Bench could not see its way to do otherwise than to fine Mr fiade£s and co«ts. Within an hour of beieg, fined some anti-Sabbatarians collected! the amount, amFwaited on Mr Bade with a request that he wouU accept it. Hethanked them most eordiaHy for their sympathy, but said that he was quite ablealthough not willing to pay the fine, and shoul 1 therefore decline their kind offish He also told them that fora number of years he hati been a regular attendant on Sundays, either personally, or by members, of hi* family, at Hie English Church, an.l paid regulirlj for ,his sittings, but until the church jmrty would condescend f* take a m^re lilx«ral view, of tbo Sunday qnmlion be wo-il.l »t«p bU cootribntioos, and from tint -»o»>we l»e meant to take th» money to pay Ins fine and costs j. and ih*%. h? bad alrendr sent word to bis clergyman that he" need expect no more fee* fill he had made up that amount by withh >lding them fron> the ehureb, Mr Bade. argnea that ;he church snoiild lead iM influence to prevent these objectionable extremes being carried iato effect, wherenoonesufifc« by the breach, of th*law\ There is RJt a e'er^yo^n^ b» says, that he knows that does not '.v?vk his servants, and his cattle on Sundays ; tl^re ia not a livery-stable that i>? one-: a» >unday * there is not a steaaa.w. • s^ hug boat, or a vehicle of an^ x • * :«nnotbe hired on a Sundaj, s: ci - piy their calling all Sunday :oi«. ••-..* mate % great noise over it o ; tr« y«* W '•• says that he— « reso^sie tjadesuan-^ shall not accomn\^datrt n» eu.^omp^ b^ supplying iheia sop m»otj, with a eicar^ a piece of tohncc >, o* h posaae stanv*