THE HOTELS ON DECEMBER 26.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1024, 13 January 1911, Page 7

THE HOTELS ON DECEMBER 26.

SHOULD THEY HAVE CLOSED?'; .. (By Teletraph.—Press, Association.) '■■'■','■■< -:' .Westpdrt, 'January 12. ' :Bcforei..Mr..'lßawsonj ..5.M.," to-day Martin Ryan.' licensee-of: the-. Grand' Hotel, was charged', with;/illegally ex r posing liquor for sale and selling liquor jo'hvMonday, : ;Decembei<;! 26,': such • day, according \o the Public.-', Holidays Act passed last session,- being deemed,to bo ', Christmas Day, as that day had fallen on Sunday.. ! .-Counsel for defendant • (Mr. Moloney) contended that tho Legislature did not intend to mnko the hotels dose on that day, any inatteJs affecting the liquor trade being either specially legislated 'for,.in the form of Licensing Acts, or wero-expressly and explicitly stated in. such other Acts where t)ie liquor trade was; to .bo, affected. . A., publican's...license, was. granted from. last. Juno to next May, and the Legislature did not fntend.'.'to reduco" the privileges' under . sucji licenso unless accompanied by some form, of compensation. The new legislation .was not intended to be-retrospec-tive;." ■- '■.'•" -'■' :','■' . -.;.

;Police Inspector BlackVfor-th©;prose-cution, argued that 'a literal interpret tatiqn of tho section of tie Act (not tho: intention of tho Legislature) should be tho thing on which the case in'ust rest. .'. ' ■ ;..-..

,-The. magistrate.:reserved" his . deciJionl " ■' ,-■■.-

V !In','similar charges against Patrick Ryan, licensee of the Albion Hotel, and' inicnarges of being illegally on licensed premises against- three men,' judgment tras'also reserved.-.'