MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 20 February 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

. i In the Hc'bart Town Mercury of the i 23rd ultimo appears tlie following, sup* ' i>liei.by i's Luaeostoa correspondent. %,

We need hardly say that the parties are well known in Hokitika : — 'The great -^ topic of conversation about town has been f^ie horsewhipping ease, which ocenrreff in St. John's*street, recently, and public sympathy appears to be rather with the inflictor than the recipient of the punishment As the matter has formed the subject of a police office case, there is no reason why your readers should not hare the details laid before them. Some time ago, J. B. Carran, a gentleman wellknown and generally res« pected here, arrived from New Zealand • and lias since been sfaying here with his wife and sister, a Mrs C, W, Flexman, whose married life has been an unhappy one, compelling her to leave her husband. The husband arrived here a few days ago, and it would appear was apprehensive of meeting Mr Curran, for he expressed hia fears to the police, and armed himself with a heavy headed whip. On Tuesday last Mr Curraa and his father m«law, Mr T. B. Prosser, were walking down St. Johns-s treet; they met Mr Flexman, and Mr Carran at once accosted him, and pulling out an ordinary riding whip, laid into Fiexman pretty severely. Fiexman hit back at Gurran, but ultimately had to bolt off. Mr Prosser did not assault Flexmao, but expressed his approval of the punishment inflicted, and a desire to inflict a repetition himself. Summonses were issued within an hour or two, by the Saperintendent of Police against Mr Prosser, for using words and behaviour calculated to proroke a breach of tha peace, and by Mr Flexman against Mr A Carran for assault. Mr Ourran left town with some friends for Nine Mile Springs, shortly after the occurrence, to witness the clearing up from the New | Chum crashingj but returned to day, and I both cases came on at the Police Court. | I Mr Prosser was 6ned 5s and costs for using language calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, and Mr Curran, for the assault, was fined 10s and costs. The assault was admitted, but it was pleaded M in defence that Mr Curran had received V ! prreat provocation by the defendant slandering him, and sending t he following note to his sister :-^' Launeeston, 17th January. — I have just arrired. Will give you another chance if you consent I to divorce, and help to get it.' " We read in the Daily News that agricultural depression is to be found in France just now as much as in England, the writer adding that in some parts of the north and of the centre of France culs tivation i* no more advanced than when 1 Gaul was a Roman province. Yet France is not only a country of republican instix tutions, but a country where there is no J law of entail or primogeniture, and 1 where there is a large peasant proprietory, and small ho dings are universal. The j agricultural depression in England has been traced by some English and Irish / Liberals to the law of primogeniture and to the existence of landlords, while others like Mr. R. P. Edwards, find its origin in Lord Beaconsfied's administration, | France is free from all these evil in* fluences, and rejoices in the possession of a law for the perpetual division of landed estates, and the perpetual creation of a p?agant proprietary, yet it is faring no |b^jrite|^nEngland, and suffers as much competition,