LICENSING COURT. THIS DAY. (Before H. S. Wardell, Esq., R.M., chairman, Major Paul, and J. Moore, Esq.)

Evening Post, Volume XV, Issue 213, 11 September 1877, Page 2

LICENSING COURT. THIS DAY. (Before H. S. Wardell , Esq., R.M., chairman, Major Paul, and J. Moore, Esq.)

Before the commencement of business, a deputation consisting of the Yen. Archdeacon Stock, the Revs. Messrs. Patereon. Ogg, West Reid, and Coffuy, and Messrs. Holdsworth and Powles presented a petition, signed by 2G98 adult residents of Wellington, praying the Court to grant no new licenses. Mr. Wardell asked whether tho petition came within the terms of the' act. Archdeacon Stock said that tho memorialists believed that it did. The signatures had been obtained by house- to-houso canvassing, the city being divided into districts. Thoy claimed to stand under clause 31 of the act of 1874 which gave the Licensiug Commissioners power to take notice of any matter or thing :\vhich would be an objection to the granting of any license, although no notice had been given. Mr. Wardell thought the section of tho act referred only to objections against specific licenses. Archdeacon Stock thought it would apply equally to an objection against the gran tint; of all new licenses. The Oth clause of the 28th section of tho act said that the Court "of its own motion may take notice of any evidence whether the same be strictly legal or not." ' Mr. Wardell replied that the 29th section went on to define the evidence to be so received as evidence which was in accordnnoe with the terms of the 23rd and 24th" cla\iscs. Thus, if any matter was presented to the miud of the Court, as* an objection to a license, it need not be refused merely because legal notice had not teen given. The Court could in such a case take cognizanco of the objection, and could adjourn the application for a week in order that seven days' notice of the objection might be given to the applicant. ¦ Archdeacon Stock and the Rev. Mr. Paterson argued that the memorial, if it could not bo received as a petition, could be taken notico of by the Court i>9 evidence of the feeling of 70 per cent, of the population of the town. Mr. Wardell snid the clause on which they relied did not give the commissioners power to " receive " any evidence— it mprely .provided that they might ''take notice '*.oi My bbjection raised without notice. But ! itf that case, the Court would have to be adjourned for a week before the evidence could be received in the true sense of the term. The point was argued at great length, Archdeacon Stock and Mr. Patersou arguing cleverly for the reception of the petition. Mr. Wardell remained of the same mind, however, but on consulting witli his brother commissioners, ho announced that they did not view the clause in the same light as he did. The petition would therefore bs received. As the deputation was about to retire, Mr. Wardell said he had had placed in his hands theipolice report of the licensed houses in Wellington. In that report the distance of each house from its nearest neighbour was stated, and he must say that he was considerably surprised at the state of things there revealeii. He then read out the list, showing that in several instances two pubhe-hpuses adjoined each other, in many other tfflfces they wore under 20 yards apart, and only in about eight instances were they more than 100 yardßtf rom each other. " " \ i APPLICATIONS FOR NEW I.ICENBBB. There was an application by Mr. Charles Moody for a license for tho Tramway, Hotel, Adelaide Road, but Mr. Fitzgerald said he was instructed to withdraw it, as thp house was not yet completed. ' ' Mr. Wardell said he was always of opinion that it was hard to compel a man lo build a house before he Could obtftin a licenV, tfnd he did not see that the fact of the hotel not being quite finished would operate against the application. Of course, if granted, it would be on the condition that the building should be«ompleted to the satisfaction of some officer appointed by the Court. Mr. Fitzgerald said-he.mustryfollow his instructions, and withdraw file* application. John Pestridgo applied for a license for the Worcester Hotel, opposite -'fhV Railway Station. . . . J ; I. ' ' Inspector Atchison statedi thatFon.<two previous occasions the license was refused. The application was withdrawn, / APPLICATIONS POB EXTENOED LICENSES. A petition, signed by c number of the inhabitants of the district, and the members of the Fire Brigade, was presented, praying for an extended Jicbne for Mr. Emcny's Royal Oak Hotel. The application was refused. A similar application, by Charles Martin, of the A'bion Hotel, was withdrawn. .- - • TRANSFERS. The transfer of the license of the Wellington Hotel from C. Cemino to Adolpli Brown was granted. The license of Kennedy's Hotel was transferred from the trustees of ¦ th,e ,J*te Mrs. Kennedy to George Milner. The transfer of the lice,qso oft:tlu> t Wlute Swan Hotel from John B>rtie to Santiieluiaw~ son was granted. -*-„. ,', An application for the transfer of. a temporary license from Mary Power > to , Harry JBenuett for the CommjeroinlHotd warranted. The temporary transfer from. Wm t JUackey to Allan Cajmout f or the Horokin-i Hotefc,«'fls likewise granted, ' . f -- - I >r.',:h<~i