The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1891.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5169, 16 June 1891, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1891.

Che Premier's taunt or joke about here being five leaders of the Opposi- ' ;ion appears to have stirred up the party * :o concerted aotion for the purpose of ' ioing away with the anomaly. The special correspondents say that a caucus c is to be held at once to decide the c juestion of the leadership, and that m j ill probability the ohoice of a consider- t able majority will fall upon Mr Bryce. t If ao, our anticipations of two or three months ago will be realised. Sir John Hall bas a following, but not a very ardent one, and both he and Mr Rollea- ' ton -would be content to acknowledge Mr Bryce aa their chief. He bas plenty of ability, is thoroughly honest, is ' energetic, and has the quality of firmness to a degree which some people ' call obstinacy and others pigheaded- ' neaa. His utterances laat year show ' clearly that he is fully impressed with the idea that the colony musl continue m tbe path of the strictest economy if national baukrnptcy is to be avoided. The Opposition might do very much worse than choose Mr Bryce as their leader. His weak point point is his manner, which is very far from being conciliatory either to friends or foea. He improves, however, on closer acquaintance, and tbe responsibilities of the leadership of his party may be expected to render bim cautioua m the matter of giving offence. We notice a statement that tbe Auckland members are displeased at the way Mr Mitchelson's claims and past services have been ignored. The special correspondent of tbe Otago Daily Times puts tbe case tbus :— " They (the Auckland members) say that, considering the extraordinary and exceptional disadvantage -with which ne had to contend during the session of 1890, Mr Mitchelson admittedly led tbe House very ably. While not being the real Premier be had all tbe onus and responsibility without any of the credit, and he was hampered by having to consult and obey the absent invalid Premier m all matters. They therefore resent bis being thus dropped ont of notice." We readily admit that Mr Mitcbelßon acquitted himself creditably under somewhat difficult and discouraging circumstances. But he has not the smallest claim to the leadership of his party m the presence of several men of mnch greater weight and experience than he can be credited witb. Mr Mitchelson is a moat | respectable man, but he never would have been offered a portfolio m the Atkinson or any other Ministry if it had not been for the necessity, or shall we say expediency, of including an Auckland member m tbe list. We cannot regard him as one of New Zealand's foremost politicians, notwithstanding the position he occupied during the session of 1890. In view of the fact that tbe " bar question " is still under consideration by the Licensing Committee, it may be interesting to notice a case which has just- occurred m Dnnedin and which bears directly on the subject. Wain's Hotel m that city extends right through' from Manse street to Princes street, having frontages to both. The hotel was originally m Manse street only, the first license having been granted about thirty years ago for the house under tbe name of Moir's Hotel. The house subsequently changed hands, was rebuilt, and extended, aa we have already said, to the other frontage of the section m the main thoroughfare. But the " bar" (using the word as it is defined m the interpretation section of the Licenßing Act) has always been maintained m Manse street, and liquor is not sold m the house m any other place which comes under the legal definition of "bar." The application for the renewal of the license has just been before tbe Dunedin Licensing Committee. It was granted some days ago, but came before the Committee again on Saturday last, on a special application by counsel on behalf of the licensee. It appears that at tho hearing when the certificate wns granted, tbe Committee objected to there being two bars — one of them m Manse Btreefc and the other m Prince's Btreefc. But it was pointed out, according to tbe legal definition of the word there was only one. Nevertheless when the certificate was issued ifc contained a special condition that there should be no bar m Manse street. On Saturday counsel asked that the condition might be struck out, it being illegal or ultra vires of the Committee. 'It was contended that the licensee wna free to open his bar m any part of the house which suited his convenience, and that "if tho license was granted, it must issue m the form prescribed by 'the Act." The Cominitteo retired to consult;, and on their return it appeared that the - arguments of counsel had prevailed to the extent that the Committee were convinced that the condition should not have been inserted m tho certificate. So far ali was plain sailing — the condition was struck out, the chairman saying that "it was because it was not lawful to add it to tho license, bub they wished the Manse Street bar closed." Connsol : If it is possible for tho landlord to givo offoct to tho wishos of the Coimnittoo ho will do so. Mr Stanford (a mombor of tho Cominitteo) : If not, ho has fair warning. | There is no doubt that this last remark expressed the mind of the Committee. What the member intended was a threat that if the bar objected to was not closed, renewal of the license would bo refused when again applied for m due course. This is a point to which we referred m a former article. It seems dear that no condition as to where the | bar ia to bo should be inserted m the certificate, but that if the Committee when dealing with tho application make verbal stipulations a.s to the number of places where liquor is to bo sold m tbe house, and also as to the exact localities, there m praotically nothing to prevent them from refusing to renew on the next ocoaaion m the event of the licenseo not having acted m accordance with the intimation given bim. We do not express an opinion as to whether or not this ought to be tho line adopted by LiceueiDg Committees, but we do not ■

cc how they are to be prevented acting bas if they are so minded, for m the svent of tbeir refusing to renew they leed give no reasons.