No. 5.-LOWER COURTS (Magistrates' Courts).

APPREHENSIONS AND SUMMONSES

(Exclusive of Committals).

The great shrinkage in the figures of later years is principally accounted for by the fact that in earlier years it was the custom to include remands every time they came before the Court, instead of once when the final adjudications were made, and also to record those persons charged with more than one offence separately for each offence. The figures for 1895, and, to a large extent those for 1894, are devoid of these irregularities.

Maximum Fines.-Under the Distillation Act a fine of £100 may be imposed, and under the Chinese Restriction and Regulation Act a penalty of £500 may be inflicted for each Chinese entering by land or carried in excess of the number fixed by the Act by any vessel arriving in New South Wales.

No. 6. LOWER COURTS (Magistrates' Courts)-DRUNKENNESS.

DRUNKENNESS IN EACH POLICE DISTRICT, 1895.

No. 7.-LOWER COURTS (Magistrates' Courts).-DRUNKENNESS-Distinct Persons Committed to Gaol under Sentence, 1895.

Drunkenness-Distinct Persons.-The figures shown in the Total column represent the number of "distinct persons committed to gaol" under sentence for Drunkenness and Drunkenness with Disorderly Conduct during 1895, the figures given in the other columns represent the number of times they were convicted, as for instance, there were 11 men between 75 and 80 years of age sent to gaol under sentence, 8 of whom were convicted once during the year, 1 three times, 1 four times, and 1 five times. Of the females at ages 65 to 70 there were 9 convicted during 1895, of whom 6 were convicted once, 1 twice, 1 five times, and 1 twenty-two times.

Exclusive of Persons Paying Fines.-The figures do not include persons who, when the option had been given them, paid fines in lieu of being imprisoned-that is to say, the figures represent only those persons who were either peremptorily imprisoned or those who preferred imprisonment to paying fines.

No. 8.-PERSONS COMMITTED.

How Committals are dealt with.-All persons, except those committed by Supreme Court Judges, Chairmen of Quarter Sessions, and Coroners, who are entered on the charge sheet of the police must be brought before Magistrates of Courts of Petty Sessions to be by them summarily dealt with or committed for trial, in addition to which persons may be brought by the Attorney-General before the Court on information filed ex officio. The jurisdiction of the Coroners is limited to murder, manslaughter, and arson. Judges of the Supreme Court and Chairmen of Quarter Sessions are empowered to direct for trial persons alleged to have committed perjury before the Court.

Persons charged with Indictable Offences and discharged by Magistrates.-Among those summarily dealt with are those who were charged with indictable offences; but no prima facie case being made out the Magistrates discharged them. During 1895 there were in the metropolis 390 persons, and in the country 392, or a total of 782 discharged by Magistrates. Committed during 1895.

After a person is committed by Magistrates or Coroners, the depositions of the case are forwarded to the Clerk of the Peace, thence to the Crown Prosecutor of the district for an opinion; the papers are then transmitted by the Clerk of the Peace to the Attorney-General, who determines whether a Bill shall be found.

Difference-representing Persons against whom no Bill was found, or who were awaiting trial at the close of the year

1,231

109

1,340

No. 9.-HIGHER COURTS.-PERSONS Charged at each Court, 1895.

(Central Criminal and Circuit Courts and Courts of Quarter Sessions.)

Higher Courts. Central Criminal and Circuit Courts.-Judges of the Supreme Court preside over the Central Criminal and the 15 Circuit Courts in different parts of the Colony. The Courts of Quarter Sessions are presided over by Chairmen, who are also Judges of the District Courts. There are seven Chairmen, two of whom preside over the Metropolitan, Suburban, and Hunter Districts and one over each of the five remaining districts. Accused persons in each jurisdiction are tried by a jury of twelve.

Jurisdiction.-The Central Criminal and Circuit Courts, and Courts of Quarter Sessions, have co-ordinate jurisdiction excepting as regards capital charges which cannot be dealt with by Courts of Quarter Sessions.

Clerk of the Peace. This officer is charged with the control of the committals to Higher Courts and either attends personally or by deputy throughout the Colony at the Central Criminal and Circuit Courts and Courts of Quarter Sessions.