The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5165, 11 June 1891, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891.

In another column will be found the full text of the greater portion of Mr Justice Denniston's judgment m the Sydenham Licensing Committee case. What we have omitted is the first portion, relating to the question of the returning officer's appointment, which was objected to on purely technical grounds, but was upheld by the Court. The portion of the judgment now published will be read with interest m Timaru, as the points involved were so keenly discussed prior to the recent licensing elections. It is satisfactory to us to find that Mr Justice Denniston's decision fully bears out the opinions expressed by us m our recent series of articles relating to the prohibitionists' determination to close all publichouses. The position taken up by us was vigorously attacked by the Rev. Mr Gillies. Our views and arguments were " pooh-poohed " and more than once pronounced to be absurd. But precisely the same views and arguments are now embodied iv Mr Justice Denniston's judgment, and their truth and cogency need not be affected m the smallest degree, even if the Court of Appeal decides that the learned Judge's order should not have been made. This question of whether the Supreme Court could or would interfere was raised m one of our articles, and we pointed out that though there might possibly be no remedy against the doings of a prohibitionist Licensing Committee, nevertheless the arbitrary closing of all the publichouaes m a district would be a substantial wrong perpetrated under | cover of the Committee's " discretion." « . i i i i