THE LICENSING BILL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 98, 22 October 1904, Page 5

THE LICENSING BILL.

UN-CHARTERED CLUBS. THE QUESTION OF INDORSEMENTS. After four days' discussion the Legislative Council, just after midnight last night, concluded the consideration of the Licensing Bill in Committee. The features of the evening's proceedings were the restrictions placed upon the sale of liquor at Bellamy's— which was, in the matter of closing hours, brought into line with the hotels — and the abolition of the bona fide traveller. As on previous sittings, the debate attractedi a large number of members of the House of Representatives to the galleries. Proceedings began with the clause (54) deakng with the sale of liquor by unchartered clubsj which was agreed to without discussion. At the next clause, which proposes to exempt from the operation of the preceding clause certain associations and societies, the Hon. F. H, Fiaser moved to amend the clause by striking out "friendly societies' 1 from the list of exempted institutions. He said these societies had not asked for, and did not require, the exemption. ' The Hon. G. Jones thought the whole clause might well be dispensed with, as it was neither useful nor ornamental. It proposed to sanction those things which were prescribed in the preceding clause, because it included practically every society in the colony. The Hon. T. K. Macdonald asked how the clause would affect dinners or banquets at hotels, and he urged that some provision should be made to allow of liquor being supplied after the closing hour on such occasions Considerable discussion ensued, in the course of which the Hon. J. Rigg said that the clause practically permitted certain unchartered clubs to sell liquor to their members, inasmuch as thir was prohibited in clause 54, which was repealed. The Hon. A. L. Smith complained of tho loose wording of the clause, which used the word "society," which might included any club or association. The amendment was lost by 24 votes to 8, and the clause as a whole was agreed to by 23 to 7. The next contentious clause was clause 57, which proposed that Bellamy's shall be closed, as far as the sale of liquor is concerned, during the existence of no-license in Wellington. After long discussion the clause was rejected, and new provisions inserted (as reported elsewhere), which make the closing hours of the establishment the same as those of hotels. This clause disposed of the two remaining clauses were agreed to with verbal amendments j and the postponed clauses were then taken. The first considered was clause 37, which deals with the manner of recording convictions for breaches of the licensing laws. This clause had been postponed in order to give the AttorneyGeneral an opportunity to investigate whether, taken in. conjunction with clause 35 (indorsement of licenses) provision had been made for indorsement in the event of certain offences. The Hon. J. Rigg contended that there was no provision made for indorsements of such serious offences as bribing a constable, or keeping unlawful hours — as far, at lea^t, as the indorsement against the licensed premises were concerned. Ho did not doubt that this arrangement was deliberately made, and had been done in the interests of the landlord. He moved to amend the clause by inserting in the list of sections (in respect of the offences mentioned in which a conviction entailed indorsement on the licensed premises) that section which prohibits bribing or harbouring constables. The amendment was lost, as was also a similar amendment moved by Mr. Rigg, dealing with the offence of selling liquor during unlawful hours. Mr. Rigg called for 3, division on the latter amendment, and it was lost by 20 to 6. The Hon. J. Rigg then moved to amend the clause by Increasing from two to five years the period of disqualification which "is entailed on any licensed premises by three convictions being obtained agadnst those premises within three years. The amendment was lost by 20 votes to 7. Tho clause was then agreed' to with verbal amendments. The bona fide traveller was next considered (clause 40), and, as reported elsewhere, this elusive entity was abolished on the .Son. C. C. Bowen's motion. The Hon. J. Rigg then moved' a clause to enact that a Licensing Committee, after Ist July, 1907, shall not renew a publican's license in respect of any premises of which a brewer is an owner. Mr. Rigg explained that this clause differed from his previous proposals, inasmuch as it was entirely free from the charge of being confiscatory. He intimated that he was reserving a speech on the subject for the third reading debate. The clause was rejected by 18 votes to 6. A clause, moved by the Hon. W. M. Bolt, and providing that when by the terms of any lease or agreement the holder of a publican's iicense is required to purchase goods from his landlord, such landlord shall not, in the event of the bankruptcy of the licensee, have any preference for rent as provided by "The Bankruptcy Act, 1892," was lost. The Hon. J. Twomey moved an amendment, in the shape of a repeal, to prevent any voter from voting on more than one issue at the local option poll. The amendment was rejected by 12 votes to 9. The Hon. C. Louisson moved a new clause to provide that if a servant of. a licensee harbours constables, or permits gambling and drunkenness on the premises, such servant shall be liable to a fine of £10 irrespective of any liability that the licensee himself may incur. This was lost by 15 votes to 7. This completed tho material proposals in connection with the BiU, which was reported with amendments just after midnight. The third reading was set down for Tuesday.