The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1885.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1496, 14 January 1885, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1885.

The extraordinary rumpns created in the public miud some fifteen or sixteen years ago l»y the passing of the Vagrant Act can hardly have faded from the memory of the people. The newspapers from one end of the Colony to the other rang with alarm and indignation at the attack, which it was al'eged, that Act made upon the liberties of the people, and all sorts of I dreadful consequences were predicted from the arming of the police with guch plenary powers as the measure conferred. It was said that in the presence of snch a Draconian enactment the police would reign in terror over the popnlace, and that no man's reputation would be safe How far these dismal forebodings have been realised it is unnecessary now to con■ider, but it is curious to note how different has been the. reception of " The Polite Offences Act," a measure which completely " out Herods, Herod " in its middling interference with public conduct. In comparison with the " Police Offences Act " of last session the Vain-ant Act of 1866 was a perfectly harmless piece of legislation, ' and yet we question much whether one man in a thousand hardly more than knows that such a law is actually in force at the present time. If so, the sooner every man in the community procures a copy of the Act, the better it will be for him. This will be best shown by a short summary of its pro visions. To begin with, the Act repeals so far as the Colony is concerned three Imperial Acts of Charles the I and 11, having reference to •• The better observance of the Lord's Dny, commonly called Sunday." Of Pro vincial Acts and Ordinances it repeals no less than thirty, amongst which are the Vagrant Act of 1866, with all its amendments, Assaults on Constables, Cruelty to Animals, sections 143, 144, 145 of the Licensing Act, Rural Police, five municipal ordinances. Lotteries Act, Police Act, with all its amendments, Fire Prevention, Poison, Bush Fires, and many others, re enacting the " string " of the whole of them under the one heading of " Th<? Police Offences Act " 1884, set out in the preamble to be "An Act to consolidate the laws for the suppression of various unVnoos, and in restraint of vngrancy.' Thf Act came in force on the Ist Jan nary last, and provides amongst other things that any person guilty of any of the following offences, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds: — Throws glass, tilth, rubbish or other matter on a public place; rides or drives, or wheels any truck, barrow, oi carriage • f any kind, on any footpath, or canies any lode on his shoulder so as to obstruct any footpath; places any hoarding, scaffolding, imber, bricks or other material on a public place ; leaves standing or lying upon any part of a public place, any truck wheel burrow or other similar thing, or any packing-case, basket, cask, barrel, package, or any other incntnberance ; bun s any litter, straw, shavings or other combustible materials upon any public place, or on any open space near any building, and so to endanger such building; leaves inflammable mutt-rials, or matter in any public | place or on any open space, near any building ; draws or trails any sledge, timber, or any other hea\y material in or upon any public place to the injury of, or the material dau age to snch public place; allows the drippings of the eaves of any house to fall upon any public footpath or footway; opens any drain or sewer, or removes the surface of any public footpath or road ; lias any avning, show-board, or signbonrd on any puhlic footpath not being Bft, clear above such footpath; or hay | ing any good? on or under snch awning over such footpath ; exposes for sale any article whatsoever on outside of any shop window or door- way abutting on any puMic place, so as to encroach ■hereon; susp.tids or places any carcase, rmat, or offal so as to overhang any part of a pubic place ; neglects to clean any private yard, way, passage, or avenue, by which nf gleet a nuisanc ■•, by offensive sr/ull, ■'f otherwise is cuused ; empties ai-y <.r-: spool without. Kiuhnritjr truiu the

local body ; exposes for sale, or has in his possession with intent to sell any unwholesome meat, fish, game, poultry frilit, vegetables or milk ; slaughters, except in case of inevitable necessity. or skins any animal upon any public place, or permits any slaughtered animal orskin to remain tliereon, leaves any dead animal on such place ; throws or leaves any dta I anim.il or part thereof, or animal remains, or offensive matter of any kind upon any public place, or into any creek, ri.ei, atream, or other water, or on th* b»;k thereof; exposes in any pnl.:io place (except in any fair or market 'awfully appointed for that purpo «) any horse or other animal ftv sho^v, hire, or sale; or shoes, bleeds, o • dresses any horse in any public plic^- ; rolls :i y cask, beats any carpet, flies any kir<*. uses any bows and arrows, or cat -p iTr, or shanghai, or plays at any game t the annoyance of any |»iis>n in my public place, or obstructs any pubh • place whether Wy allowhg any .-an or animal to remain across su<.-li public place, or by pl.ieing Lfoods thereo-i or oth -rwise ; want >nlv <tr mnlieiou-Oy distnrl>s any inha'»itr..t by rtn^in^ a'iy do >rbell, knocking at any lo >:•, b! >wi v any horn, beating ay h»r, '"'lii; any drum, using aisy oih i- loisy ia strnment in any pu lie p ■<•;■, or iinij ing any firebell; places any p'uead o Other dwument, w ;: ng >• painting on ot otlierwise d*-f •< s a v house? or building, or any wa i, fenc . la;.ui> post or gate without t:e con t of tv« •ccupier or owner Leeof, throws o. 1 discharges any stone oi o n-r mis>i'e to the danger or da u-igo ot a ly p.-rso-i or property ; blasts any m<-l-, stoi c or timber in or near any [>v >!i ; |la -c without permission of the io-al .I'liuoiity ; discharges any fire-arm wi'hout. rca^onnble cause, or sets od' any rir. works ov explosivu material, in or on any /uMio [ laco, or &•» near therato as to en : a tiger, am >y or frighten the pass rs-ly ; uses any throat etitug, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour in any pu >)iu place witlin the hearing or in the view of passers-by, with intent to provoke a breach of the peaci-, or whereby a breach of the peace in ly be < c:asi>>ne 1 ; disturb aiy congrugation aas«miiiei for public w r-ilii) or any public meeting or any m ting fi»r any le Mire, concert, entertainment, theatre, or inter feres with the orlerly con lu-jt of any rdigi- us service in any church, chapul, C'.m««ry, burial gr-mnl, or othor buil ling.