The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1885.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1497, 16 January 1885, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1885.

lir ou»* Wednesday's issue we j^ve a part summary of th« " Police Offences Act" of iast mission. We no * ijive th«* concluding portion. Clause 4 is especially ".ou^i " oa coachmen, and povides that a penalty not exceeding £10 shall b«* ii fl'cted for any of the following off jnces : — For negligence of any kind on the part of the driver or rider of a horse, or for passing on the wrong side, or for refusing to pass or impeding others from passing, or for furiously riding or driviug, or for carrying ma-d-rial which projects more than five feet from a vehicle, or for driving a coach or vehicle with the curtains unfastened so as to flap with the wind, or for ca rying more than the proper complement of passengers in a coach, or tor delay iug on tht road .or for twins insulting or abusive language to any passenger, being intoxicated or other misconduct thereby endangering the | safety of passengers or property, or for exacting more than the propt r fare ; drixesauy dog or goat harnessed. The next section has a speoial interest for the owners of cattle, and is a welcome provision. It provides the same penalty foi- permitting cattle, to wander at large. Dog finciers have not been overlooked, and the penalty for setting on or permitting a dog to fight is modestly fixed at £10; the same fee will be demanded of those who permit their dogs to worry or put in fear any person or animal of any kind. A penalty not exceeding £20, or three months, at the option of the Bench, i* provided for those who place obstructions in a public place whereby life or limb is likely to be endangered, or leave any excavation unfenced, or for polluting water used for domestio purposes. The £10 scale is again provided for those who wilfully smash windows, lamps, trespass on any place and refuse to leave when requested by the owner, or remove, deface or injure sign-boards, bells, knockers or gates, or set fire to auy hush not on his own land. Foi' auy of the following offences the charge is £20 or two menths imprisoumeut: — For cruelly beating, over-loading, insufficiently feeding or nhelti-I'iiig auy animal; for cock-fighting ! or aiding or assisting thereat. A penalty of £10 is provided for any person who lays poison in any public place, or adjaceul thereto, or within three chains of any highway. Clause 10 rum : "Any person who on Sun day, in or in view of any public place trades, works at his trade, or calling, deals, transacts business, or exposes goods for sale, or keeps open to public view any house, store, shop, bar or other place for the purpose of trading, dealing, transacting business, or exposing goods for sale therein shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £1 But nothiug herein contained shall apply to works of necessity or charity, or the driving of live stock, or the sale of medicines, or the sale or delivery of milk, or to hairdressers or barbers before nine o'clock in the forenoon, or to persona driving auy public or private carriage or cab, or to livery stable keepers, or to any person employed in preparing, printing and publishing a daily paper." In case of a violation, of the foregoing provision by servants, the employer to he held liable. A " public place" is defined to be "any public park, garden, reserve, or other place of public recreation or resort, »r any licensed vehicle plying for Lire, or any church or public building where divir c service is being held, or any public hall, auction room, or any bar vi » licensed hotel, racecourse, cricket or football ground, or auy other place to which the public have access free or on payment of gate money. Any per son convicted four times within six niatitl.sfordrurkeunessshall be deemed to be an habitual drunkard and be liul'le to three months imprisonment. A penalty <>i' £10 is provided for per-.-<-..'H lw»ij!/ <u;;::k while in charge of ' vi y public [)!««•,.•, carriage, hoise or . {'•• a<'.si;f public indtvency the i. u< ; > >ne yeai's imprisonment . • ; graver oiTenwrf o

k (i may 't- claso'd as iiidicfable • - .v <! t i offenders be commit '■ i, I ; Mi^i-ancy is punishable i.i- Act of 18G6. A > « mits ai!j of (he ow

ing offences shall bo deemed to be a rogue and a vagabond and be liable to :iti# years imprisonment — Collects alms ►r subscription* under false pretences endeavors to impose upon any charitable institution or private individual l>y false or fnudulcut represen auous with a view of obtaining any benefit or advantage; plays or bets in any (.uWlic place at or with any table or instrument of gaming at any game or pretended game of chance ; has in his possession without lawful excuse any pick-lock, crow, jack, bit or other implement of house breaking ; or is found by night with his face blackened, or wearing fell or other slippers or disguised with a felonious intent. The next section is especially provided for Reefton boys and runs as follows : Any person who is found by night without lawful excuse in or upou any dwelling-lijuae, out-houst',coach house, stable, or in any enclosed yard, garden, or area, shall he deemed a rogue and vagabond, aud be liable to imprison meiit for one year ; the police are empowered under section 35 otthe Act to arrest without warrant for offences within view against the. Act, provided the residence of suchpeisonisunkuewn. lv ail thete caseg the police have -greatlsi extended function*, their power of devrloping prosecutions being limited only by their industry. No more will the force be exposed to the standing reproach that Robert is never there when he is wanted, for wherever the constable may now happen to be he will be the focus of a momentarily widening radius of breaches of the law. Ah inspector of nuisances a single trip up the back sluns of the town wil provide him with a perfect harvest of prosecutions. As the angel guardian of our back gardens he will find a never-ending source of relaxation in hunting down utraying goats, cows, horses, pigs, and bringing the owners to poetic justice. If this is not enough to satiate his dragon appetite for informations, a Sunday promenade to the crushing batteries and mines will amply reward his official enterprise. The policeman ought then to ba a happy man. Like the microscope in the hands of the naturalist, the •' Police Offences Act " opens up to the policeman an entirely new world (of offences) to his astonished and enchanted official vision, and if this does not constitute a policeman's Paradise, thon indeed is the policeman's lot an unhappy one.