WORKING MEN'S CLUBS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 8271, 23 November 1895, Page 9

WORKING MEN'S CLUBS.

THE PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS

Yesterday, before Mr Beetham, Jjj.M., Willliam Newahara was charged "with selling liquor without a license. Inspector Broham conducted the prosecution, Mr Siott appeared for the defeudant. Clara Moore deposed that on November 9ih one Mrs Fianerty, of Richmond, where nil the parties lived, gave her 2*. aud asked her to soma brandy. Witness went to the house or defendant, and asked him to get her 23 worth of brandy. Hβ took the money aad bottle, and in a, shor; time returned aud gave her the butile, which contained some brandy. Cro33-tx-ainitied—Mrs Fianerty was ill, and \vitnes3 lold defendant that it was ou account of her iiiuess that she required the brandy. John Cusack, custodian of the Richmond Working Men's Club, stated that defendant was a member vi the Club. Witness supplied him with the brandy on his represearation that io was for a case of sicicaes*; Mrs Finnerty's name was not mantioucil. He would not have supplied it for her use. Constable Fiewellen deposed that, from enquiries, he found that after gelling the brandy Airs Fmcerty was very drunk aud made a row in the street. .The defeudaut, on his own behalf, stated that he was doing nothing Members of the Club were prohibited from takiug drink off the Club premises, but there was an exception for cases of sickness. Mr Beetham asked how it was that the intermediary, the defend. tut, was charge 1. Inspector Broham said, though defendant got the liquor at the Club, he sold it to the girl Moore. He (Inspector Broham) was m doubt as to whether he should not have included Cusack in the charge, but the case was the first of the kind that had come under his notice. Defendant wa3 clearly doing an illegal act by taking liquor far consumption, off the Club's premises. Mr Beetham—" That may be so, but you charge him with haviog sold the liquor. I don't see, as at present advised, that he sold it; it was the custodian who sold it, and it seems to mc if there is any oifeuue he should have been the defendant." Mr Deacon, as amicus curia:, said that any member of a Club could take liquor outside the Club for consumption. There was , an erroneous impression to the contrary, but there wae an English case which had settled the matter. A member of the Club could do with its liquor just the same as he would with liquor in his own house, the theory being that he was part owner of whatever was used there. Clubs prohibited the practice for their own better government, but it waa not illegal. Inspector Broham said if that were so the sooner the fact was known the better ; a Club would not be different from a public house. Mr Beetham said the case seemed unique, and he would hold over his judgment. In the meantime perhaps Mr Deacon would show him the case to which he had referred.