WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 30

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

(f'HOM ©DTK OWN 'CORP-JJSFONDESfT.J Wellington, M&y "31.

ar/ESTION OF PBEC&DENCE,

Th-e dieoussiou at Che qut2.^tioß of colonial ; precedence, aijropos of the .presence 'of 'bishops j | at fibe-'Sfiate^inner at 'Government 'House, has'j | been going -ton -ie-ib-e Tlocal pipers, 'and the j I Eremier. who ihas at iieoglh beea '" drawn "on i the eubjsct, .-has fnrnisbed rfcjje following iiraft table or .praesdence by the -HobMrt Gouferencb of Pxemiecs 'in Ft-Jbruary, 1897 :—: — , I "The Gcvcrnor or officer adtninisteriu^ tbe ; Govctnißisnt ; the ■JDieu t e«ant->Goveri-ior ; (the' officer in command .of ;her .Majesty's naval forces on iihe Australian SSation if of the rank of acmiral ; tbe Chief Juttice ; the Premier.; other members forming Uhe Cabinet in order of precedence amoag 'thticae^lves ; the Preeiaenfc 'of tbe Legislative ' Council-; 'the Speaker of fihe House 'ot Assembly /or "Representatives ; other ■members 'of 'the 'Executive Council tand ccx memoers of itbe 'Executive Council duly j anthorissd to .use tbe p»tiix ''Honouisab'le,' j according to seniori.fry .of title -or -right to <use i tbe same ; fche .puiane judges^ the .members of I ithe .legislative Council : the mom'bsrs of the j House of .Assembly or .Representatives ; the i officer commanding the loca\ iorces.; all other \ to occupy the posit.oas prescribed 'by : '6he locdl table of precedence ; the wive 3i ve3 of the ( •foregoing to enjoy the precedence of their hus- , l banßs.'" 'The Secretary -of State tas-not replied 'fcosthisiconamnnieation. !

THB SIEWBE3! "fiFOE SrA.T«JKA,

ThexManawatu Standard, which is .edited .by MrPira'nl, bdlieves that Mi M 'J^ab, the newly- i •elected .-member for JMafcanra, wiill -ba as-inde-. ■pendent an tbe Honae as -any imetnber of, fehe Leffc "Winjr. It jpoints oat that Mr J^'Naib s said that if 'hs hud. hsen.ia the -Honse he would j 'haye vate3 against; .tbe Gov»rn.ment ou .the' question iof -€he 'Premier's connection >with the Anglo-ContiinejatarSyndicS'te, and further, -that ! he state'd'tie would vole against -the Technical ' Schools BiH if introduced in the -effms state as 'bwtiyear. " ' June 3. U>H2 !GOTJOS"IJCI 'TEBABTJHBKSHiIP.

jAn apparently inspired .drolegram in itbe» "•Ministerial jnannmg -guurriaJl -points ito 'the; jreturu of the Eon.iJ.-.G. 'Wardito .Bbe',GabicKfc a ias fEreasurec. Tha probable appcdntmenfc oT the' Hon. John "M 'Ksuzle to 'the IJp t per [ ."Honsfi would make it inoperative , upon j>he ! jPremier 'to get more '.debating power 'into 'his ' '"Ministry.

MX BEOHGE "HtTTOHISON'S SPEECH,

Mr -George Hutchison's speedh atW.aitotara? the other evening -was -ix most searching crlti- i cism of «the 'administration, or -rather the -want .of >of .admiDistr*tioß, .of the present Go.vern- • .ment. IReferting to Busby Bark, Mr Hutchi- ■ i ifion said : "it; ana-y ;be «a ver.y satisfactory , j .transaction fco ii 6 purchaser*) Dr ib may ,nob, ' but it .ought to be Jfche for j the reputation of the Minister for Xis,nds, 1 jand the end .of the eternal .lease. The ' action >oF the Assets Board (composed of the nominee of the Bank of NcwlZsaland, tbe | "Premier, 'and a 'chairman appolnteH by fc'he Premier) -in disposing of this to' ifche f sons of the Minister "for 'Lands has been sought ' to be justified •■as cthe beat thing that could be i done in the tcircumslancc3. Bui sucb. a plea, i will not ho*lß good in face of the manner io which tihe 'transaction ;waa brought about. , ■Butting aside the acbion j df the -chairman in ) misleading jposaiHle 'cnsiomsrs by stating that! ithe -board -woald 'not lease but 'would sell; publicly ai » $ ctfeure date, >an 3 putting aside ' ailso^ev-aryisuggestjion -as to its bsing promised • •to ;be jacgurrßd >f or -small iaums and .evsry .olflaer i iOQireiiiei atioa, and judging -,t he ;t ran section only i | on .fche .undeuia.ble .{act ith«t the jaropenty was secratlytand hurriedly disposed. of ,ab ,£7ooo Jess than the cJlony haß guaranteed, -and that the i .stock onitwßß sold at a -val nation .made .by anJ , omeer ;df 'the hoard 4and one of the jpurcrhasers, ; and -there .remains enough, 'and more than •enough, to 'brand <the trairsact'ioti m', suspiciouti and in .dfea'Hng -with >, *was to all "'tnta?nt« -and 'purposes .public -property." As 'to ihs GovecAnaomt ' i3 nance, Mr 'Hutchison sard-: — " iEha t'sea■sury acoouuts, have "^been -a ' -puzzle to iMinisterti vthemstlras tand .ev.er.yone eke, and' ! will niobably remain so until an independent audit canihe.maae."" -Mr Hutchison jssid tha!ti five or^ix planks might .safely be laid down as 'forming part of the, platform of the Opposition sf ■ they 'had au opportunity of serving the -.country. , .The .civil service is to >be ,pui^<6d of 'Mmisteriail j parasites. IPor land rel'unn, the widest choice of , selection should be-given, ■wifrhfreeholdju eight of'a'U. Reduction of taxation is suggested %y •the lowering of duties on all imports which tribute to fche iderelapment o£ the n&tuv&'l iudnstries of the colony, the compeiisatiing . balance to he found .in retrenchment. Ref crro ; el public wonk« by of tthe powers of < local .bodies, and the -curtailment-of the personal i eontrol^f Ministers is considered necessary. Protection of the judiciary from intimidation by "Ministers forms the -fifth item of the plat'Eorni, , while of the sixth and ia&i " Social Reform," "he 'cays : "It has 'been thtj cant of libe present . Government, in theiateivals of being liberal >to ' 'tihems-elves <fco prafess especial concern for (Ihe •labonr vote. No -poircy can be complete, <no ipa-rty.gfOucß, that doas not trecognise tbeiciaims e>i QaA;DDr'to tbs faldefit.jopporbunity for acdv»noexnent. There should ibe * fair field .and no favour.. Siill .and ;energ,y want no .more and should 'hare no less, but fche, itch -of .discontent with which the npesarit .Ministry has Bought .to , inflict the labouring pepulatiua for ths purpose | of selling theit nostrums has benefited none so much rs ihe a£itaUxrv."

Mig» Gaan, who has been mi&feresß <of bhe Waipshi School -for the lant three yearg, was preoenfced *by the children <wHb* han'dßome goli brooch and other useful presents on her leaving .to .take charge of the Kokoaino School. Great regret was exjaressad afc berlexving W.aipahi by both parents and children, where she was held in .the highest esteem, ana she has many good 'wishes for her welfare in .tier new home in North GUgo.

TAIEBI XICGBISINe COMMITTEE. A -ineetLug of the Taieri Licensing Camisaittee •• was held at the Courthouse, Mo^giel, on Tuesday, anil attended by Messrs W. Snow (in the chair), W. Kirklam!, J. F. Leary,, A. UougU3, and C. Samson.

-NEW LICENSES Harry S George applied for a license for the i C'-miincrcial Hotel, IBurwick.

Mr Hanlon appsaretl in support o'Fthe applica- i -tims, and Air A. S Ad^rus 'for 70 jjetifciuners who opposed the gran Hog -of the 'Heezwie ' Mr Hanlon eaiil he uudnffetood that one af the licensees in the district had not. applied lor a ■ 'licence on this occasion. That having made room for anothet liot-n-e to 'bs-gra'Dted, Mi George now ma<le upphca'don. to ha.ye ;a lioen-se granted to him.

Mr Adatts said the petition iv opposition to the license was signed "by persons residing from 100 | yarfls to 45 mile* from the proposed licente, and i injgh.t be taken, is the absence of anything "to the contraiy, to j^pi.es^nt fairly ithe opinion of the distinct. Tie •therefore .submitted that the conamittpe should on tint ground :il me refuse thti 'lir-nse. 'But <tberewas an "important legal point. His ltarueil ifrienrl 'bad 'that » Hcertiie had dropped aut, and that .ga>ve power to the comrnitteo to. grant a liceiiße on the ptesfent appKca- ' tion. That, ihcweyer, was a mistake. Section 14 iof '"Ths Alcoholic Jjiquors Bale CoDtrol .Act, J5893," provided that itiuei-d should be.no mci ease ' of licenses exce.pt >on au i/iereaßp af population •ascertained by taking a cenKUS. Then a poll -was directed 'by the.act to 'be 'taken every three years, i •and questions were submitted 'to the el- ctors as 1 .to whether licen-esirfhaiild.coMtimieias they were, or hi reduced, or be abol shed The act af 3595 contained a provision -to the tame effect. Now he would like to ask the clerk whether it was a 'fact that a pu'Wicim's lrcense was 'being dropped ■hi, the district a>t the -present .time. The Cleric of the Court stated that joo publicans' licenses were beingdroppsd, but that two accom-. ■ißodafionlicensts were.

M-r Adanjp ptoctfeaed t) say that in the act of ' 1881 seven difl'cti-ent kinds-of licenses were referred to — viz ...pubhc&ns', New Zealand wine, .accaaimodation, bottle, picket;, wholesale, and conditional .licenses. His learned -friend's arsurcent was that if an ancommodation license or a -v/holesale was dropped in .a district, a publican's* license 'could be obtained in .place -of .it. That needed only to be stated to show its absurdity, , and ft was not the. law. If .his learned iriead's ■contention -was 'Contest, the 'bendh couW ato^ce' -#ra»t 10 publicans' licerrßßs.if -they fouud that an equal .minibar of 2Tew Zaalaad wine-and iwholesale licenses drrppsd out. jN"ow in section 4 of thfilnter- ' p.-etation Act'df"lßßS.alarge number of rules were ' laid down for 'the interpretation of statutes, -and (the last-clause -but onea-ead.as follows :—": — " Words , .referring to any country, .locality, district, place, ' body, corporation, society, officer, office, .functionary, parson,, ;party, or .thing shall be construed •disfcribirMyely as referring -to each country, locajliiy, diafciict, ; pl»o«, corporation, society, -officer, oifioe, functionary, person, pai>by, orithingto-whoni ■ or to wh'ichtheprov,itioj)'iarf<pp}icable." Apjily.that ruleto sections, and.section 8 of fhe act of 1895 with ' •reference 'to nnfl "it -wouia be seen that - 10 -publicans' .licenses could .not .be substituted for 10 lic-jtfses of all sorts. She .bench, therefore, < had no jurisdiction ,to .entei'tain the »application. He felt Tery (ilear that this question of juris■fliction 'was abs-ilutely -fata 1 ! -to iihe grantirtg of " the application,. and. he -would 'like to suggeat to * the bench .that it .be .disposed -of befoue any other joints in connection .with «.thfi -applicdtion were consideruH.

Mr Hanlon %iid -fihe -act 'made provision with < regard to -the .number .of licenseß, nat the'clas3 of licenses. He did mot ask that -there ehoulfl "be ,any increase sin the number -of licenses ; -but- ,he said -that there had 'hlfiherto baen a certain , number of acconrmoaation and-publrcan^'licanseß-jinitheodißtrJct. ©ne of <fehe .holders of ah ,aocem'modution lro^nse did notwi^h to continue to hold >alkensct, and therefoi.'e.allowed.his.apnlication to lapse. 'That gay* ffojne other person the right to .obtain a lfrcmse in respect of some other premises. The •mere .fact -of -asking -for 'a license for 'Other premises omade no diffarence, because at <was .always open to a hotelkeeper to have his license reraovecl. Mr Adams : That-'is not so. Jlr ilttT;*lon 'proceeded to aay that 'he did ntffc contend that if a'personliaiil.a Kew Zealand wine license or a paoket license and allowed it to lapse, another person could qpply for r (publican's .license in its .place. But'lihere was a difference "between accommodation licenses 'and packet aad wiae Jioennes; and 'that was clearly eihown bythieaot of JBSI, which .put .the mutter beyond all manner of doubt. His learned Jfriend did not point out what section 79 of .the act of lfiSi said upon the Cfcuesbusn. IDhaft sedticvn -reafl «s follows :— ■" On application jfor -the renewal >of any accom'm.oda- • .tio;i license the licensing .ct.mumttee -may :—.(!) vary the conditions -upon which any such iicense ■shaJl be l-enewed ; or, (2) at iihe request of the 'applicant grant to : himia •publican's license instead ' df renewing ,"his ;accammodatian license if .they! sball see (fit, ,and,!fthink ithe,acoommodatian pro- ! .vidud to be sufficient.; or, ,(3) require the appli- ; ra.u'fc -to eiilarge J lfis premises wiSh'in » certain ™c to be specified by 'the committee, and to , -takeiout a publican's ilteenserfor the same, renewJng his racaoniivrodafiQn Jicdnse only foa- the ,time no specified on suoh conditions as they shall think fit."' That section showed this : 'That if 'the man wiho 'had allowed This lioen-se to drop out "ha& tenl&Tged his ipseav.Bßs and applied Jona publican's .lice»se;the bench ihave (granted him a pablican's Jicense if they were satisfied that .the.premises were sufficiently large. It", then, they could grant him a publican's license -under the ] circumstances -started, 'they cauld also .(grant a I license to ,the applicant for other .premises.

'Mr 'Snow^aid "the 'bench Jhad 'decided to adjourn •bheftpr)lrealiion'for'2l days, as<all the members ctf ths ibench were not present. He might isay, iowever, that the .bench ware of opinion 'that a licenged house was .required iv the locality where ■'flic -license was applied lor.

TRANSFERS. The following applications for transfer df licenses were -granted :— Frederick Fitzgerald (Terminus Hotel, Outrara) to William Hall Anderf-on (Mr J Mouat for the applicant) ; Mary Ann Jdhnston (Lee Stieam 'Hotel) to John "Well.mar ; John Wilson .(Gri-een Island iHoted.) to'Wm. leeaoui<Mr Hanlonior.the applicant). | •BENEWALS. >\ Renewals of lieenßfis-wej'e granted to"the "tindier- j mentioned.:— JSMzabeth O'Kane, Mosgiel Hotel I fMr Jtlanlon for the applicant) ; William i Knott;, Railway "Hotel, Mosgiel (Mr Hanlon for the applicant)-; A.daxn H'oulston, Crown Hotel, Gi-aen Island ; John Crane, Coach ' and Horses Hotel, iFairfield ; Ann Webb, Piailway 'Hotel, Miciaiemareh ; Hfliza Constance Pateis, Strat-h Taieri Hotel; Wm. Head, Ctescejut Hotel, ', Al'lanton.; John Koss, Kajikorai Junction Hotel (Mr Jlanlorj for the applicant),; Wm. Gleeson, ! Green Island Hotel (Mr Hanlon for the apj)li- • cant). * Mr'Thornton appeared in suppoit of an application by Alfred -HenryO'KeeTe for a renewal of fhe ' license of ithe'Outraau Hotel. 'The police .report -Stated that the fcotrae was in ■ such a bad state of tdecay that.the police xjould'rjot recomiaend it as fit to be again lieen^e'd. llr 'TboKaton infinratEd 'tbatH'-was the'intention ?of 'the landlord to erect an -entirely new) building. ■ 'Mr Snow said €he .bench were .of opinion that i the house should -fee rebuilt. They would grant a ' temporary ■ljoense-for three months, and if at the , and ef 'that time such progress was .made with the > .new building *» would satisfy the bench theywould renew the license. ACCOSIMODATION LICENSES. The following were ,gi anted accommodation licenses :^-Irvine White, Brighton Hotel ; A'lex- I anfler "M'DonnOd, Olark'ts JuncWoni Jehu Well- \ anar, LeeSraream Hotel (Mr Jlaalon f er 'the .s^ppll- ; cant). i KXTENDJED LICENSES. j 'The follo"wlng licensees applied 'for an 'extension ] of time for the 'sa'lff of liquors until 11 o'clock :— ■[ Elizabeth O'Kane, Wm. JKnott, Won. Gleeson, Adam Houlston, John Tlo=s, William Hall Anderson, and A H. O'Keefe Mr Snow said the "beach had decided to -grant the applications, provided tfab billiard rooms were closed at 10 o'clock. If the police found these rooms open, or men playing billiards in them { &ft«r 10 o'clock, he could promise the licensees

that the bench would not again grant a renewal of their liccn?e3.

CHAIRMAN'S REMAIIKS.

'The Chairman said the bench were quite •pleased that the licensed houses in the district had been so well conducted. There was not one complaint about any hou-e ia the district, und hs hoped that the same siato of matte. s would prevail nfcxf jour.