The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 28 Jan 1902 ¹

NEWTOWN.
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    Mr Carson, chamber magistrate and clerk of petty sessions at the Newtown Police Court, has had prepared a return of the business transacted by his staff within the petty sessions district of Newtown for the past year. The following are the details of the principal items:—

    Petty Sessions Court Transactions.—Number of cases under the Vagrancy Act and drunkards’ punishment provisions on Police Offences Act, 773; number of Petty Sessions Court cases where accused have been arrested, exclusive of those under (1), 633; number of Petty Sessions Court summons cases, exclusive of those under (1), 2482; number of cases committed for trial, 53; number of municipal appeals dealt with, 874; number of applications for auctioneers’, pawnbrokers’, hawkers’, coach, fishing boat, fishermen’s, and other licenses, 99; number of bails taken, 296.

    Small Debts Court.—Transactions: Number of plaints entered, 1682; number of executions issued, 91; number of garnishee applications, 25; number of interpleader cases, 10; number of applications for ne trial, 1; number of bills of sale registered, 317; number of applications for oral examination of judgment debtor, 8.

    Miscellaneous Items of Business.—Number of tobacco licenses issued, 496; number of receipts taken for public moneys distributed, 1444; number of letters of all descriptions received in connection with all offices held by CPS, but excluding applications for electors’ rights, 2483; number of letters despatched, 10,900; number of dogs registered, 10, 875.

    Electoral Business Transacted.—Number of original rights issued, 522; number of transferred rights issued, 243; number of substituted rights issued, 21; number of applications for rights by post, 295; number of revisions courts held, 7; number of provisional and other lists compiled, 1302; number of provisional and other lists issued to post-offices and police stations for exhibition, 42; number of notices as to holding of revision courts issued to post-offices and police stations for exhibition, 42; number of notices of objection (in duplicate) issued, 1000.

    Curator’s Agent Transactions.—Number of estates dealt with, 8; number of sales conducted, 1; value of estates dealt with £274-17s-3d.

    Convictions under the Early Closing Act.—A return was also prepared showing the number of convictions under the Early Closing Act, which was as follows:—For remaining open after the closing hour on the late night in the week, 2 convictions; for remaining open after the general closing hour at night 14 persons were convicted; for working shop assistants more than the regulation hours in a week or not allowing them a half-holiday in accordance with the Act, one conviction; for not allowing a shop assistant a half-holiday under the special clause dealing with hotels, restaurants, and hairdressers’ establishments, one person was convicted.

    Drunkards Return.—In accordance with an order made by the Legislative Assembly a return was prepared showing the number of convictions within the petty sessions district of Newtown for the year. This return shows that the number of convictions for drunkenness only was 364; other convictions in which drunkenness formed part of the charge, 118. Of those convicted 120 were women; 61 of the offences were committed between 8 am on Saturday and 8 am on Sunday, while 18 were committed between the same ours on Sunday and Monday. Sixteen publicans were fined for selling on Sunday.

    The total amount of money received by the Clerk of Petty Sessions during the year from all sources amounted to £5111-13s-7d. The amount included:—Fees of courts of petty sessions, £557-17s-3d; registration of dogs, £1362; suitors’ money, Small Debts Court, £686-4s-2d; Fines paid to revenue, £689-15s; fines paid to police reward fund, £401-12s-1d; fines paid to informers, £105-2s; fines paid to borough councils, £178-1s-1d; fees for licenses issued, £199-13s-4d; Small Debts Court fees, £274-2s-2d; wages, compensation, &c, awarded by the Bench, £57-0s-2d; returnable and other costs, £200-1s-10d.

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The Australian Star, Thu 30 Jan 1902 ²

BISHOP OF GOULBURN.
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    The new Bishop of Goulburn, the Right Rev Christopher George Barlow, of Northern Queensland, [sic] has been in Australia a little over 20 years. Beginning, as a lay reader, he was ordained deacon by Bishop Stanton, then of Northern Queensland, in 1881, and priest in 1882, acting during this time as a curate of Mackay. In 1882 he became vicar of St Paul’s, Charters Towers, which position he held until 1885 when he undertook the duties of missionary chaplain to the diocese. Returning next year to parochial work, he was appointed to the charge of St James’ Pro-Cathedral at Townsville, where he did excellent work, and was appointed to an honorary canonry in 1887. Upon the translation of Dr Stanton to Newcastle the choice of the churchmen fell upon Canon Barlow, who was ordained as Bishop of Northern Queensland in St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, on July 25, 1891. He has held the position ever since, with honour and distinction.

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    At Newtown Court yesterday, before Mr Smithers, SM, for an offence against decency in Liverpool-road, Summer Hill, Alfred Symons was sentenced to six months Imprisonment.

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The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 14 Jun 1930 ³

OBITUARY.
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MR GH SMITHERS.
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    The death occurred at his residence in Sandridge-street, Bondi, yesterday, of Mr George Henry Smithers, aged 76 years, retired stipendiary magistrate.

    Mr Smithers was one of the last of the old bench of stipendiary magistrates. His tenure of the metropolitan bench occupied more than 26 years. He was well-known as a capable and fair magistrate. Mr Smithers joined the Public Service on October 22, 1868 and in 1875 he became CPS and Crown lands agent at Cooma. In 1882 he was appointed to a similar position at Maitland, and in 1884 was appointed CPS and Chamber Magistrate at the Water Police Court, Sydney. Early in 1892 he was appointed to the stipendiary magistrates Bench from which he retired about 10 years ago.

    The most notable cases heard by Mr Smithers were the banking cases, including the ABC case. He was a member of the Local Options Court by virtue of his position as chairman of the Metropolitan Licensing Court.

    Few of Mr Smithers’ contemporaries survive him. Among them were Messrs Delohery, Addison, Giles, King, Barnett, MacFarlane, Love, Clarke, and FG Adrian, who now lives at Cremorne.

 

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¹     The Sydney Morning Herald, (NSW), Tue 28 Jan 1902, p. 7.

²     The Australian Star, (Sydney, NSW), Thu 30 Jan 1902, p. 2. Emphasis added.

³     The Sydney Morning Herald, (NSW), Tue 14 Jan 1930, p. 12.

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