ELEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE BAR.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 308, 22 January 1875, Page 3

ELEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE BAR.

An Auckland 'telegram Recently gave the news that the Auckland K M. Court had dismissed an inforriiatron laid against ■a. publican for a- female in his bar: after eleven o'clock' at night. The. following report of the case is given, in the '. Echo' of the 24th ult.:—

Michael O reoran was charged with having contravened the Licensing Act by employing girls in his bar after ten o'clock at night. Mr. Hesketh appeared for defendant.

Constable Mulvillo was called upon by Inspector Broham, and said that his attention had been called to the house, where he found there was a barmaid serving liquors. This was after eleven o'clock at night. He spoke to Mr. Corcoran, who said be did not care, but was willing to allow the matter to come.to an issue.

Mr.-- Hesketh said there was no wish to set the law at defiance. It was only desired that matters should be set at ,rest-in regard to this regulation. = Emily Willis was called for the prosecution, and deposed,: She remembered'the night of thb : 14th of this month.. On. that night she saw C nstable Mulville.in the lower bar of-the Greyhound Hotel. : She was serving ;until within a few. minutes of twelve at night.

To Mr. r : eeketb : As a rule her duties terminated 'at eleven ati night, and the barman took charge. On previous occasions Mr. Corcoran had ordered her out of the bar, but on the night referred to no one had come to relieve her, and she thought it right to remain. She could have left if she chose , .

To Mr. Broham; She stopped behind the bar serving because there was a great amount of business, and not from any compulsion.

Mr. Hesketh submitted that was incumbent on the police to show whether the barmaids referred to were relations or connections of Mr. Corcoran. In the next place be pointed out that there was no evidence that Miss' Willis was actually employed in serving liquor. She might have been voluntarily assisting Mrs. Corcoran, who it was well known was unwell. Then again there was a difficulty, in regard to the definition of what constituted a public bar, with regard to which the Amendment Act of 1874 was not clear. Mr. Corcoran had a right to employ people in bars which did not abut oh the public street. The framers of the Act seemed to have really intended that no conviction should take place. He could see. no difficulty in setting its provisions on one side. His Worship remarked on the incompleteness of tbe Act, and observing " what a singular Act, that is, which allows a wife and daughter to be worked to. death and protects servants to such an extent," dismissed the case.