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New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3441, 24 May 1898, Page 2

Last night tho city streets were picketed by marines and sailors from

jack the warships in port, that ashore, precaution being considered

necessary by the naval authorities in view of the fact that a large number of “ liberty men ” were ashore. Possibly the step was also prompted by the circumstance that on the previous night there was a violent encounter between tho police and some sailors. We know nothing of the merits of that encounter, and are debarred from passing any opinion on it in any case, since the affair is still sub judice ; but there is nothing to prevent us expressing a hope that it will be carefully inquired into, and that whoever is to blame, police or sailors, will bo convicted and sharply punished. As for tho picketing of the town, that is a proceeding the necessity for which is greatly to be regretted, which is anything but creditable to the navy. Discipline must be ineffective and training bad indeed when a few hundred men cannot be lot loose in a British port without others haing sent to police them and see that they don’t break the law or damage property ; and the spectacle of those picket men marching about in threes to keep order among their comrades was both unpleasant and discouraging. There ought to be no such necessity. But if there is, let us hope that if there are offenders they will be caught, and being caught, will, instead of being handed over to their officers for punishment, be incontinently gaoled like other malefactors. A uniform does not protect a man. On the contrary, the fact that he wears it should induce him to show his pride in his employment by behaving himself.

Br slow and costly stages the publican is gradually acquiring knowthe daw ledge as to what the law and the with regard to his trade ispublican. Yesterday the Supreme Court

ruled that a licensee does not ofi'end if he takes a person into his hotel and, treating him as a guest, gives him strong drink within prohibited hours. The contention of the other side appears to have been that a lodger in a hotel might lawfully hive people in to take something' - at any hour, but that the publican himself has no each privilege ; but the able and convincing argument of Ulr Skerrett prevailed as against that, and it was held that the publican also bad the right of treating his bona fide friends.” Why not? A private householder can invite as many friends as he pleases to' share with him on a Sunday (for example) as big a stock of liquor as he has laid in on'Saturday night, and no law will punish him for doing so. Ic would not be fair to exclude another person from the same privilege bn the ground that he keeps a hotel. Even leaving the question of fairness out of consideration, if the Legislature wanted to . ensure bars being closed, or publicans prevented from exercising privileges common to all other classes, it should, as JEr Justice Pennefather said, have done so in “ plain and distinct language.”