LICENSING COURT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 421, 6 March 1880, Page 9

LICENSING COURT.

The quarterly meeting of the Licensing Commissioners was held at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Present Messrs. T. A. Mansford (chairman), Thomas Kebbell, J. Moore, and J G. Holdsworth. APPLIC T ONS FOR NEW LICENSES. Frank Mountain applied for a license for a house in Cambridge-terrace, to be called Tattersall’s Hotel.

Mr. Buckley appeared in support of the application and Mr. Edwards in opposition to it. Mr. Buckley said a petition had been presented against the license being granted, which pointed out that the house was not needed, and that if the license wire granted the house would be simply a drinking shop, and would become a nuisance to the neighborhood. He, however, contended that a licensed house was needed in the neighborhood, and a much larger petition had been lodged in favor of the license being granted, the latter petition being signed by a great number of residents in the immediate vicinity of the honse. There was also a petition from settlers at the Wairarapa, who were in favor of good accommodation being provided for horses. The new hotel would do this, for there was stabling for 26 horses attached to the honse, and there was no other hotel in town where such good accommodation could be found. He called

Frank Mountain, who deposed that he had held licenses both here and in Greytown, his last house being the New Zealander. He had received requests from country residents to erect stabling so as to establish a horse bazaar and he had done this at a cost of £59 J. The stables would accommodate 26 horses, and were now full. The want of accommodation for horses at other hotels was very much complained of. By Mr. Edwards : The plans of the hotel put in were not those of a honse already up, but of one to be erected. Over 1 0 residents of the neighborhood were in favor of the hotel. He did not take any notice of a letter he received from Mr. Edwards, objecting to the hotel. He had contracted for its erection before he got Mr. Edwards’ letter. The horse bazaar was now full. He considered it was necessary that he should have a licensed honse if he kept a horse bazaar. The horses would not require beer, but those who brought them there would.

The Commissioners, without hearing any further evidence, decided that it would be quite impossible to grant a license for the honse, for it was necessary that proper plana Bhould be lodged with the Court, and the plans sent in were only those of a building in contemplation. They were also of opinion that there was no necessity for a licensed house in the neighborhood, and could hold out no inducement to Mr. Mountain that a future application would be more successful than the present one. Mrs. Harding’s application for a license for the new house at the corner of Taranakistreet and Courcenay-place was withdrawn. UNOPPOSED TRANSFERS. The following transfers were agreed to without discussion :—-Joseph Ames to N. J. Isaac*, Star Hotel ; A. Derrick to Charlts Martin, Albion Hotel ; D. E. Toohill to W. D. Player, Imperial Hotel ; Frank Mountain to Thomas Smith, New Zealander Hotel; John Bertie to Walter Charles Wilson, Groß▼enor Hotel.

TRAMWAY HOTEL. John Robinson applied for a transfer of the license of the Tramway Hotel from Charles Plimmer, but as he was not in attendance the Commissioners did not entertain the application.

Mr. Buckley subsequently stated that he was instructed to appear in support of the application, and the Bench granted the transfer.

CALEDONIAN HOTEL. Mrs. Hall applied for a transfer from W. H. McCleland of the license of the Caledonian Hotel.

Mr. Buckley appeared for Mrs. Hall, 3nd stated that his client also desired to change the name of the honse.

The Bench granted the transfei*, but Mr. Mansford stated that the application to change the name of the house must be mads at the annual meeting.

foresters’ arms. Wm. Homes applied for a transfer of the license of the Foresters’ Arms from J. D. Fraser.

Mr. J. G. Allan appeared in support of the application. Superintendent James stated that it had come to his knowledge that the applicant had supplied a constable with some drink while on duty. The constable had gone into the house, and threatened the landlord that he would have him fined £SO for selling after hi urs, and in consequence of that threat he had been • supplied with drink. Mr. James had several times found constables the worse for liquor in the neighborhood of the house.

Wm. Homes, the applicant, was then called, and deposed that on the night of the 9th January an Armed Constabulary man had gone to the house just as he was shutting up, five minutes after 12 o’clock. The constable stated that he would have witness fined £SO for selling after hours, and then said “ It’s all right, old man, give us a drink.” Witness gave him a drink, and also let him have a bottle of brandy, for which he was to pay. but he had never done so. This was the only time he had ever supplied liquor to the police. By Mr. James : The constable had a great coat on, the same as those worn by the police when on night duty. He certainly ought to have informed Mr. James of the circumstance.

Mr. Mansford : Why did you give the man the brandy ? Witness: I. sold him the brandy, your Worship. Mr. Moore : You were only putting yourself in the power of the constable by letting him have drink after hours.

Mr. Allan then addressed the Bench, and pointed out that there was no evidence of the applicant having conducted the house improperly. What he had done with regard to the constable was a weak and foolish thing to do, and he (Mr. Allan) could not defend him for it, but he hoped the Bench would let him off with a warning.

The Bench reserved their decision for a fortnight. THE MASONIC HOTEL. This was an application from Mr. William Jamieson for the transfer of the license of the Masonic Hotel from H. D. Monk. Mr. Fitz Gerald appeared in support of the application, and took occasion to refer to a newspaper statement to the effect that the original applicant was only a dummy, and that he had obtained the license for some one else. Whatever might have been done in connection with other houses, that certainly was not the case in this instance, for he could produce the original documents showing that Mr. Monk took the house with the intention of carrying on business there for a term of years. It was only in consequence of his pecuniary difficulties that he afterwards found he could, not carry out this arrangement, and Mr. Jamieson had then to take over the license, a thing he would not have done but for Mr. Monk’s failure. He was not an hotel-keeper, and it was against his desire that he had to take the house over.

Mr. Mansford said there was more traffic in licenses in Wellington than in all the other parts of the colony put together. He certainly would not have entertained Mr. Monk’s application had he supposed the license would have been transferred in so short a time afterwards. He had seen it stated that Mr. Monk had got £SOO for obtaining the license, and if this were true he could only say that Mr. Monk had imposed upon the Commissioners when he got the license, ai\d he (Mr. Mansford) for one would exercise much greater caution in future.

Mr. Ollivier assured the Bench that the report Mr. Mansford had referred to was not true. He was aware that arrangements had been made for a continuons occupation of the house by Mr. Monk, and if he had been able to carry out that arrangement he would have been the proprietor of the Masonic Hotel to this day. It was his old liabilities that prevented him carrying out the arrangement. In reply to the Bench, Mr. Jamieson said he was not now the holder of a wholesale license.

The application was then granted, and the Court adjourned.