PETERSFIELD.
Agent—Miss Duplock.
PETTY SESSIONS. —Tuesday, March 8th.—Present, Hon. J. J. Carnegie, (Chairman), J. H. Waddington, and G. Forbes, Esqrs.
— Pink and others v. Dear. These were four assault cases from Eastmeon. Mr. Albery, of Midhurst, had been engaged for defendants, but being unable to attend, the cases were adjourned for a fortnight, on defendant engaging to pay plaintiff’s witnesses for their attendance on the present occasion.
— Mr. Thomas Green was appointed by the magistrates, on the nomination of a vestry held for the purpose, as Surveyor of Highways for the parish of Eastmeon, in the room of the late Mr. William Alderslade.
— Alfred Gettrell, of Hawkley, was charged with assaulting William Cozens, on the 25th February. The case was a very trumpery one, arising out of some scandal (the nature of which did not transpire) which plaintiff had uttered against defendant, and for which the latter admitted having struck him, when they were working together in a field. Fined 1s., and costs 5s.
— The Overseer of the parish of Buriton applied for an order for the removal of a pauper named George Kent, who had become chargeable to that parish on account of illness. R. S. Cross, Esq., surgeon, deposed, that he had attended the pauper, and that he considered his disease likely to produce permanent disability. Order granted.
— John Sprigwell was charged with stealing from a field in the parish of Catherington, five swede turnips, value 6d., belonging to Mr. Charles Clarke. Defendant pleaded guilty. Prosecutor required the bench to deal leniently with the case. Adjudged to pay a fine of 6d., and costs 7s. 6d.
— The Greatham Highway Case. This case came before the bench a month ago, as reported in the Telegraph at the time, and was adjourned that two magistrates might view the road and report thereon. The Chairman stated that himself and Sir William Knighton had done so, and the bench now decided that the road in question was not well and sufficiently made, and they adjudged the surveyor (Mr. W. Goodeve) to pay a fine of 1s., and to put the road in efficient repair by tne 25th of March inst. The above decision applies to only a portion of the road in question, as that part to which the defendant pleaded non-liability, was beyond the jurisdiction of the bench, and we understand is likely to furnish employment or forensic talent at the next County Assizes.
COUNTY COURT.—The bi-monthly sitting of this Court was held at the Town-hall on Thursday last, before C. J. Gale, Esq., the Judge. There were 25 cases entered for hearing, but many of them had been settled.
— Edward Mells v. George Read.—This was action to recover 6l. 8s. 10d., for goods supplied. The defendant is a labourer, and the Judge animadverted in terms of considerable severity on the impropriety of giving such extensive credit to persons of this class, who could have no means of paying off such large accumulations of debt. He considered that a tradesman who allowed a poor man to run into debt was the worst enemy that a poor man had. His Honour made an order for 4s. a-month, but remarked that this poor man’s industry was thereby mortgaged for three years to come. He thought that if the attention of the Legislature were called to the subject, something would done to prevent parties from recovering beyond a certain amount.