Quarterly Licensing Court.

Bruce Herald, Volume VII, Issue 655, 4 December 1874, Page 6

Quarterly Licensing Court.

The Quarterly Licensing Court for the districts of AVaihola, Gienledi, town of Milton, Kaitangata, Crichton, Matau, Tokomairiro, Mount Stewart, Balmoral, South Molyneux, Clutha, Clinton, Popotunoa, Clyclevale, and "Wyntlon was hold at Tokomairiro, at 12 noont on Tuesday, the Ist inst., before E. 11. Carew, Esq.. 11. M., Frederick Wain, and Thomas Murray, Esqrs. The following business was disposed of: — APPMCATIOXS TOR NEW HOUSKS. David Sullivan applied for a license for a house on the main road, Kaitangata. Mr Reid appeared in support of the application. Sergeant Finnegan, of Balclutha, reported having visited the house. Three of the bedrooms were unfinished, and all of them (six) were unfurnished. Iso stabling had been erected, but the piles for it were pointed out to him. There was no urinal or water-closet attached to the hotel. The following memorial, in reference to this and another house in the same locality was hauded in : — "To the Licensing Court for the district of Matau, in the Province of Otago. " We, the undersigned adults, male and female, residents within the licensing district of Matau, do hereby request that no certific ates should be granted to enable publicans' licenses to be issued in respect of houses situated in Kaitangata, within the said district for which licenses have been applied for by Alexander Dalgetty and David Sullivan." Daniel Dunn appeared in support of the memorial, and being sworn, deposed that he resided at Kaitangata, and had witnessed certain signatures attached to the memorial. At the time he got these signatures he had not shewn the memorial itself to the parties signing, but a copy of it which he had not now with him. lie could not state upon oath the number of adult residents in the Mat an district, but thought the number on the memorial would show two-thirds of those over 18 years of age. lie had taken no means to ascertain the number of 21 years of age. A notice from defendant that he would appear to object to the present and another application for a license was handed in. This stated that he would object to applicant on account of character. Being asked under what Act he laid his objection, Mr Jjunu replied that he knew nothing about Acts : he only knew the man. The Bench pointed out that under the last Act no objection to the applicant on the ground of character could be entertained of which due notice had not been given to the applicant. Mr Hunt was cross-examined by Mr Reid and deposed that he had resided in Kaitangata, some 14 or 15 months. He was not a Good Templar, nor a pledged teetotaller : but had not tasted spirits for 11 years. He and another had got the memorial up. The hjouse for which a license was applied for jyas 1209 yards a>vay from the private township of iyaitangata anci witness' house, .He could not tell ho\y many adnl.ts pyer 2J years of 3,ge bad signed the memorial. Sergeant Finnegan', of Baiclutfca, being <}*<

ainined^ deposed that he had known applicantsome 18 or 19 months, during which he was working as a laborer on the railway, whilst his wife kept a store. "Witness had never known anything against his character. ' The? house for which he applied for a license was! three-quarters of a mile from the only licensed; house in Kaitangata. There was an increase^ in the permanent settlement in the neighborhood of-. ! applicant's house, which was the most stirring part of Kaitangata. ; Mr Reid, for the applicant, pointed out that the memorial presented by Mr I)unn was quite illegal, he being unable to swear to more than a few . of the signatures, and even these ' ■were obtained [to a heading which was not before the Court. In addition, some of the signatures were those of persons under 21 years of age. But beyond this there was no proof that the memorial was that of twothirds of the adult inhabitants of Kaitangata. He handed in a memorial in favor of the application from 84 inhabitants of the district. Applicant was examined to prove th egenuine - ness of the signatures to this memorial. He admitted that some of the signatures were written for parties who were unable to write, and that twenty or twenty-five laborers on the railway line signed the memorial. The Bench remarked on the number of signatures that seemed to have been written by one person. The Court said that a decision on the application would be given after hearing the next one, which was that also objected to in the memorial. Alexander Dalgetty applied for a license for a house situated at Kaitangata. Mr Taylor appeared to support the application. The police had reported that the buildings were not finished. Mr Taylor admitted that this was the case, and said the reason for coming before the Court was, that under the last Act he thought that should his application be refused, he could come forward in three months at the quarterly meeting ; whereas, did he not apply now he could not apply until June next. Sergeant Finnegan stated that he had visited the premises on Saturday last, which were in a very embryo condition, only one wall being up. The Court decided on postponing decisions until all applications should have been heard. James Black applied for a license for a house near Waipahee, previously known as Robert's Accommodation House, Waipahee. Mr Taylor appeared to support the application. No plan of the house had been deposited, but Mr Taylor handed one in now. Sergeant Finnegan was examined as to the condition of the house, which was the only accommodation house in the district. William Watts applied for a license for a house about three miles : jm Balclutha, on the road to Kaitangata. Sergeant Finnegau deposed that the house consisted of an old building fitted up as a retail store, and of new premises in course oi construction, but not finished. The applicant was examined, and stated that all things necessary would be provided in a week or ten days. Charles Hilgendorf applied for a license for a house at Waihola, at present used as a store and an accommodation house. Applicant appeared and supported his application which he stated had been previously refused three times, the first time on the ground that there Avas no necessity for a second hotel, but that Avould not hold good now, as Waihola had so much increased, as had also the traffic through it. Applicant admitted to having been twice fined in the Court, once for sly grog-selling, and once for an assault on a revenue officer, but said that the people in the district had so much sympathised with him that they had subscribed the amount of the fine. Sergeant Smyth deposed that on the two first occasions applicant had come before the Licensing Court his application had been refused, as it had been opposed by memorials from the district. On the third occasion it was refused, on account of the assault on the reA'enue officer. Had it not been for that case and one of sly grog selling, Sergeant Smyth would have given him a good character as an industrious man. Sergeant Smyth gave the Bench the particulars of Mr Hilgendorf s little difficulty Atith MrLumb, revenue officer, Avith which the readers of the Bruce Herald are already familiar. William Rae applied for a license tor a house at Stoney Creek. Mr Taylor appeared in support of the application. Sergeant Finnegan gave eA'idcnce as to the condition of the house and the character of the applicant. A. D. Duncan applied for a license for a house in Milton, licensed up to last June as the Shamrock Hotel. Mr Taylor appeared for the applicant, and handed in a memorial in his faA'or. Sergeant Smyth gave evidence as to the condition of the house. The license had been refused to the last applicant in consequence of his intemperate habits. Mr Duncan, hoAvever, Avas in his opinion a fit person to be the holder of a license. Mr Duncan promised to have a very great nuisance, in existence near the house, abated. TRANSFER. Robert Bell of Waihola, applied to have the license of the Lake Hotel, Waihola, transferred to Robert Batterscm. Mr Reid appeared to support the applicar tion. The Commissioners having retired for a thne returned into Court, and decided as fpliows.on the applications: — • ' David. SuUiYau^Refused.,

■;■; James Black-— Granted. William Watts— Granted. Alexander Dalgetty— Refused. C. Hilgendorf— Granted. "William Rae — Granted. A. D. Duncan— Granted. George' Bell— Granted.' , - BOTTI,E ; 'IJCENSH. George Bell applied for a bottle license for a house at Inch Glutha. ;: Mr Reid appeared' to support the application. : ■■.'■'■■ Granted. , : . , The Court then adjourned.