ADJOURNED LICENSING MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 8, Issue 606, 4 May 1865, Page 2

ADJOURNED LICENSING MEETING.

The adjourned meeting of the Licensing Bench took place on Tuesday, 2nd inst. The following Justices took their seats at 12 o'clock : — Messrs. Curling, R.M. ; Cooper, R.M. ; Anderson, Wilkinson, Catcbpool, and Scaly. Subsequently,. Major Lambert took his seat on the Bench. In the application of Campbell. ' Mr. Lee, on behalf of the applicant, stated that an arrangement had been arrived at under which the license should be issued as before, in I the name of Samuel Taylor. In the application qf C. Mclntyre. This was, an application for a license for a new building to be called tbe Sea View Hotel, which had been postponed from the general meeting in April. Mr. Lee said that, the decision of the Bench having been reserved for an expression of opinion on the part of the pubKc, he had now to present a memorial in favoiu* of the application, signed by 150 persons, including five merchants on the Spit, nearly every shopkeeper up to the centre of the town, and a large number of persons more immediately .interested, viz.. those resident on the top of "the hill. Mr. Begg rose to address the Bencb in opposition to the application. Mr. Lee objected to Mr. Begg being beard. His letter was read at the last meeting of Justices, when it was distinctly stated that that letter had nothing to do with the resolution of the Bench to adjourn the case. The Court was here cleared in order that a decision might be come to as to whether Mr. Begg should be heard. On the door being opened, it was announced that Mr. Begg should be heard on public grounds only. Mr. Begg maintained that the memorial should have bttle or no value attached to it. If the Bench acted upon it, they would abandon then* proper functions in favor of a certain number of the inhabitants, who, however respectable they might be, were not responsible, and many of whom, he had no tfoubt, signed the petition out of good-nature. No necessity had been shewn for increased accommodation in that particular locality ; the appbeation bad been supported by mere outsiders, not by persons in the neighbourhood of the house, of whom, exclusive of the military, there were not twenty altogether. It had. always been the rule that old houses received at the hands of the Bench a certain amount of protection. Holders of licenses, unlike persons in any other line of business, were obliged to erect stables and to incur certain other expenses, and, having done so, they had a certain claim for protection, so long as no otber accommodation was shewn to be wanted in the neighbourhood. Besides, the present applicant was not a fit person to keep a public house. (The Bench here refused to hear anything of a personal nature.) He found, in conclusion, that there were already ten publichouses in Napier, besides one club house, and this for a popidation of 716 males and 550 females of all ages — thus giving a house for every 45 souls, which was surely quite sufficient accommodation for the public. Mr. Lee, in reply, referred to a decision oi Lord Campbell, which was in effect that the Licensing Bencb had only to consider whether the applicant was respectable and the house contained proper accommodation. (The Bench said they would be glad to see some record ol this decision.) Mr. Begg had said that there was no want of accommodation in the neighbourhood, but it was well known that all the contractors for supplying the troops complained of such a want, and had all signed the memorial. The present canteen was in an out ol the way place, almost inaccessible, and was perfectly useless to the public, whereas the newly built house was in a main thoroughfare : it was in a healthy situation and, having 12 . bed rooms, would be largely used by visitors tc the province; it would, moreover,, be a greaf Convenience for purposes of recreation. Ai for the Bencb stultifying itself by acting upor the request of the memorialists, it was simplj

■ _%, "> that an expression of opinion might be obtained - that the meeting was adjourned. It would be l remembered by many that a second house once i existed in Onepoto, which was burnt down ; so • that the present application, if granted, would " not increase the number- of houses formerly , licensed in the same locality/ !''?/,_ ; The Bench said that a decision t" applications — those of Mclntyre and Robottom — would be given at the one time. : In the application of John Robottom. Mr. Lee said that the bouse for which a license was applied for, would be built on the [ vacant space which had been excavated at con- ' siderable expense by .applicant. The present , building would be the coffee room; and the new building would aim at supplying what was much wanted on the arrival of steamers, proper hotel accommodation. The Bench then retired for the purpose of considering both applications. After an absence of half an hour they returned. The Chairman, after cautioning the policeman in attendance against permitting any expression of opinion for or against the decision of the Bench, said that, after careful consideration, the conclusion had been arrived at to refuse both applications. '