From Western Post, 3 July 1861: SMALL DEBTS COURT Monday July 1st Before the Police Magistrate and E MARLAY, Esq. John BURGESS v E CARTER - £3 for a promissory note. Mr. CLARKE for plaintiff, Mr BRODRIBB for defendant. John BURGESS swore that CARTER had given the note of hand for money lent. The body of the note was in his (BURGESS) handwriting, the signature was CARTER's. E CARTER denied all knowledge of the note; he could only write "after a fashion". Since 1858 he had left it to his son to sign all receipts and notes of hand. W G CARTER had signed a great many receipts for his father; did not know the signature on the note in question; it was not his own writing, and it did not look like his father's. The Magistrates having requested CARTER, sen., to sign his name, it was, on comparing it with the signature on the note, so similar that they gave a verdict for the amount, remarking that perjury had most certainly been committed one way or the other. LAVERS v R SHAW - £7 8s 6d for goods sold and delivered. No presentation. LAVERS v D BUTLER - £2 13s 5d for goods sold and delivered. Verdict £2 1s 6d amount paid into Court. LAVERS v W ROBINS - £2 15s 10d, promissory note due. Not served. LAVERS v Wallace BAYLY - £3 15s good sold. No parties. M LAMROCK v T WEBSTER - £5 promissory note. Verdict £5 and £2 costs. G WALKER v T WEBSTER - £1 19s 6d hay sold. Verdict for plaintiff and £2 costs. John DICKSON v T WEBSTER - £1 11s 6d goods sold. Verdict for plaintiff and £2 costs. W KING v W HATTON - £3 for medical attendance. Struck out - not sufficient notice given. T MILLER v J and W BURGESS - £6 1s 6d due for rent of land. Mr CLARK for BURGESS. E CARTER said he appeared as agent for MILLER, lat of Muswellbrook, now a resident on the "salt water", he being on his way "home". BURGESS rented a house in Perry-street, adjoining was a vacant piece of land which he had let to him at a rental of 1s per week; he afterwards raised the rent to 2s 6d per week. The land had since been sold to MILLER the stonemason, whom he wished to call as a witness. F D MILLER said he had purchased the land of T MILLER; he did not recognize CARTER as the agent and knew nothing about the agreement with BURGESS. Mr BURGESS swore he had paid all that was due, and put in a receipt signed by CARTER for the amount free of all demands. Mr CLARK applied for a nonsuit on the ground that CARTER was not a properly appointed agent; that he had no authority to increase the rent, and even supposing he had he had not given proper notice. Verdict for defendant. G THOMPSON v A B COX - £5 10s wages due. Postponed till July 9th to enable Mr COX to produce a book containing the agreement. J CWILLIAMS v M KEARNEY - £5 17s 2d for order and interest. Defendant admitted the debts and asked for two months to pay the amount. Verdict £5 17s 2d. Costs £1 5s 6d. J C WILLIAMS v H ALBURY - £6 14s 8d for goods sold. Defendant not appearing, a verdict was given for the amount and costs. J C WILLIAMS v J SAUNDERS - £1 17s 6d for goods sold. Verdict for the amount and costs. Ann COHEN v T HEALY, both of Pipe Clay - £1 6s 3d promissory note. Mr CLARKE for defendant. The amount claimed was a balance due being part of the price of two pigs sold to defendant, who denied the delivery of one of the pigs, which had been hunted to death by some drunken friends of Mrs COHEN, who after it fell down got HEALY to bleed it to save its life. The pig, however, died through the ill usage, and was scalded, scraped and salted by Mrs COHEN; it, however, turned so green that she was unable to sell it. HEALY swore the other pig was alive in plaintiff's stye. The evidence was so contradictory that the case was eventually dismissed. E BAYLEY v J SHEPHERD - 5s the value of a sheepskin given to defendant to tan on account of its superior staple, and which it was alleged was spoilt by the defendant colouring it without orders. Withdrawn. J MADDIGAN v J BARRY - £2 16s for fencing eight rods of land. Mr BARRY said that the land belonged to his daughter; he had not seen the fence, and that if it was not better than some he had seen put up by plaintiff, it was not worth the money. Postponed till Tuesday week to allow Mr BARRY to inspect it. J and W BURGESS v J NEATE - £3 16s for goods sold. Settled out of Court. J and W BURGESS v W LYNES - £1 2s for goods sold. Amount paid into Court. W GORE v P M'GRATH - £9 12s 6d for work done. Mr CLARKE for plaintiff, Mr BRODRIBB for defendant. The parties went together to Sydney for loading. GORE not being able to obtain any, an agreement was made that M'GRATH should purchase a quantity of corn which should be taken to Mudgee on GORE's dray, who was to be allowed a share of the profits. M'GRATH advanced money on the road. The corn not realizing so much as was expected, the speculation failed. GORE consequently claimed the amount of carriage, which M'GRATH refused to pay on the ground that he had not arranged to that effect. The case occupied the court a long time, and ended in favour of the defendant. J DICKSON v W SANDRY - £6 17s 6d agistment and price of a horse collar. Mr. DICKSON said he had made an agreement with SANDRY respecting the cultivation of a farm. SANDRY was allowed pasturage for two horses or cows and was to pay for any extra ones; finding more in the paddock than the number allowed he spike t him on the subject and told him he should charge 2s 6d per head, and sent in a bill for the amount. SANDRY said he had returned the collar a day or two after receiving the summons; it was none the worse for the two years wear. He acknowledged having had three or four more cows in the paddock to keep them away from the ricks, which were not secured with a proper fence. Verdict for defendant. Michael DILLON v R F JACKSON - £10 for work done. Postponed until 9th of July. Hugh DOUGHERTY v H TEBBUTT - £6 for hay sold. Mr TEBBUTT said - he was quite willing to pay the amount provided plaintiff could prove the delivery; he was in Sydney at the time and knew nothing about it. Not having put in a plea, the Court gave a verdict for the amount. C B LOWE v J McKENZIE - for £5 15s. Verdict for plaintiff. N.B. All care has been taken to transcribe the above accurately, however errors may have been inadvertently made. Spelling of names/places should be as appears in original. Transcribed from microfilm available from the State Library. Annette Piper Coolah NSW