Tho Sydonham Licenses

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3109, 20 October 1893, Page 2

Tho Sydonham Licenses

[per press association] Wellington, October 20, The licencing cases— in re Adding ton, JNewton, and »Syd«nhans East Licensing Oomtniitees—are being argued before if) ) Court of Appeal to-day, on appeal from Judge Denniston. The three Committees in question are Committees for three of the new districts into which the Sydenham licensing district was recently divided, and they granted licenses to ccrtaiu hotels which were closed by the late Committee for the whole of Sydenham. I lie question is whether they had power ,to do so until the local option poll had been taken in each new district authoricing an increase in ,the number of licenses in"that district. Judge Deimisfcon decided they had no power, and quashed the licensee Mr Fisher and Mr Stringer are for the appellants, and Sir Robert Srout and Mr Caygill were for respondents. The objectors (appellants) contend that the local option clauses do not apply to the districts newJy constituted until neti; triennial poll is taken in the ordinary course j that if tlv y do apply, (he poll taken in ]£9i for the whole of Sydenham. is sti'l hi force for th*» four di&fcriG's into which it has been divided, and alloys the i?sue of new licenses in eicft tfistrietjf the.issue 4Qes nofc eseped th<e number Jn 'exffitepce in 1891, ai:d aiso tj^t section §i of Alcoholip Liquors Sale Control Bill, JBO3, applies retrospectively so as to make the poll oi 1891 apply, and validate ihi licenses in question if wwmry, Argument is proceeding.