SPECIAL LICENSING MEETING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 206, 6 August 1862, Page 5

SPECIAL LICENSING MEETING.

A meeting of Justices to take into consideration the question of granting certain extensions of licenses to detached premises, Avas held at the Resident Magistrate's Court, at one o'clock. A. C. Strode, Esq., in the chair. The following Justices of the Peace were present:—A. C. Strode. Esq., Chas. Logic, Esq., John Gillies, Esq., A. C. Purdie, Esq., and St. John Branignn, Esq. I Mr. Howorth supported the application of Mr. Martin, Martin's Hotel, Stafford-street, to be allowed to sell spirituous liquors at a bar erected in front of and adjoining liis house. Application refused. Mr. Howorth supported the application of Mr. S. Jones, for a bar and accommodation mthe Princess Theatre. I)r. Purdie said such a course would in his opinion, be anything but calculated to reduce an already existing evil. Whoever had seen the people coming out of a theatre, must be aware of the evil that Avould be likely to arise were spirituous liquors sold in such a place. Mr. Gillies considered the theatres were a nuisance altogether, and that they were a source of increasing evil, and seriously injured the morals of the people. The Bench refused the application. Mr. Kenyon then supported an application of Mr. W. C. Dawson, of the Abbeyleix House, to be allowed to sell spirits, &c., at a bar erected at the side ofthe main building, about 100 feet distant from it. The learned gentleman urged that this case differed from the others, inasmuch as though the bar was not erected Avhen the appUcation for a license was made, still a bar was applied for, and he held that the house having been built originally for a private boarding-house, and there being no accommodation for a bar in the original building, he held that the Bench ought not to consider the sale of spirits in the bar in question an illegal act. The application was refused. Mr. Reynolds then prayed to be allowed to sell spirits and to open a bar a few feet from the main building of the Criterion Hotel for the accommodation of the public, his present bar being one of the smallest in town, and quite disproportioned to his business. This bar would have no connection whatever Avith the theatre. Dr. Purdie stated, that Avhenever he passed the Criterion, the bar Avas always full. It was his impression that it Avould be dangerous to the common weal were any further accommodation granted ; at the same time, he might say, he passed the Criterion at all hours, and would take this opportunity of testifying to the general good order that prevailed tliere. His Worship stated tliat the Bench could not entertain this application, inasmuch as these premises had, as in the other cases already brought before the Bench, been erected since the granting of the license. The application was, therefore, refused, on the general principle, but it could be brought on for consideration at the next license meeting. The business concluded at 3 o'clock.