PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 597, 21 April 1870, Page 2

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.

A public meeting, convened on requisition by his Worship the Mayor of Christchurch, to take into consideration tbe regulations lately passed by the By-Law Committee of the City Council, was held in the Town Hall last night. There was a very large attendance. His Worship the Mayor of Christchurch occupied the chair. The Chairman opened the proceedings by reading the requisition that had been addressed to him by Mr William Wilson and 106 other gentlemen. He should have wished to call the meeting at a much earlier date, but this was the first evening on which the hall had been at disposal. Ho might state to the meeting that it was no wish of the Council to thrust this or any other by-law down - the throats of the ratepayers against their wishes. (Hear, hear.) He was sure the Council to which he belonged would never attempt to thrust anything upon the ratepayers which was not acceptable to them, t ine of the main reasons which induced the Council to bring up this by-law was this: The Council thought that there were one or two places of amusement which it was advisable to bring under the operation of a by-law of this nature ; and again, they considered that it would hardly be fair to regulate one or two places of amusement, while others were not brought under the proposed regulation. His Worship read the Act passed by the General Assembly, and said that the Cty Council had made a considerable number of regulations in accordance with that Act, and they thought they might as well include the regulation now under discussion. He was glad to see that the ratepayers were taking a greater interest in civic matters than formerly. It was an evidence that the ratepayers were watching every act that was done by the City Council. It would, he was sure, be productive of a good effect, if the ratepayers would continue to look after the action of the City Council as they were now doing. He might say it waa his opinion, and he dared say the other members of the City Council would say the same thing, that the present regulations were rather premature, but he believed the time would come when it would be necessary for Christchurch to have regulations to something of the same effect. He believed the City Council would lay the regulations aside for the present, and bring them into operation whenever it was the declared opinion of tbe ratepayers that they should be enforced. (Hear, hear.) Mr William Wilson said it was his intention to move a resolution condemnatory of the action taken by the City Council in endeavouring to obtrude the obnoxious regulations in question on the public of Christchurch. (Hear, hear.) He had been secretary of the Town Hall for thirteen years, and it had been let for purposes of various kinds. A note had been kept of the number of hours during which the hall had been engaged. He found that for the volunteer dinner to the officers occupied six hours ; the Musical Society's concert 4 hours; dinner to Mr Moorhouse 9 hours (applause^; Bush Mission tea meeting 5 hours; Masonic dinner 7 hours; Queen's Birthday ball 17 hours; Burns' dinner 9 hours; volunteer concert 8 hours; Mrs FitzGerald's concert 4 hours; dinner to Mr FitzGerald 7 hours; dinner to the late Crosbie Ward 9§ hours; Cricketers' concert 5J hours; St. Luke's bazaar 4\ hours; Mr Rowley's concert 7 hours; second of the penny readings 5 hours; St. Paul's tea meeting 5£ hours. Could anyone say that the hall was let for immoral purposes on any of I the occasions referred to? The action of the I City Council was without precedent in the colonies. (Hear, hear.) He believed, however, that in New Caledonia, which was under French rule, a bell was rung at nine o'clock, and people were obliged to put their lights out and go to bed or sit in \the dark. [Mr Sawtell here entered the ''hall, and was loudly applauded."] He did t-ot think that the City Council had anythirig to do with the morality of the people of Christchurcb. Let them be individually moral, and leave the morality of the people to the clergy. (Hear, hear, and applause.) It would be very hard if it were in the power of any person to come into a theatre, and declare that it was after eleven o'clock and the performance must cease, notwithstanding that the piece had not been played out. Just imagine the effect of such an arbitrary measure if the progress of such a beautiful play as the Lady of Lyons was stopped at a time when it waß approaching a climax. (Hear, hear.) He thought the people of Cbristchurch were too enlightened to allow such an act of tyranny to be brought into operation. (Hear and applause.) The Act was defective in many particulars, and it would have been more becoming if the City Council had merely taken a note of this defect in order that the Act might be remedied in a future session of the General Assembly. He would be very sorry indeed, to allow any reflection to be passed on the Town Hall Committee, as would be the case if the proposed regulation were permitted to be brought into force. (Hear, hear.) In conclusion, he begged to move the following resolution — "This meeting having under its consideration the Bye-Law proposed to be adopted by the City Council for the purpose of regulating buildings, to be licensed for public meetings and public amusements, is of opinion that as nothing has occurred within the city to call for an official abridgement of the hours, at which such places have been heretofore opened, the proposal of the Council is unwise and unpolitic, and that inasmuch as there is no precedent on record for such a course, it is further of opinion that the regulation would not only be an improper restriction of public freedom of action, but would tend to a violation of law and order." Capt. G. H. Wilson seconded the motion. Mr Wynn Willia3lß s«id he understood the chairman to say that it was not the intention of the City Council to pass the regulations in question against the wish of the people. (Hear, hear, from the chairman.)

.Well, if that was the case, he thought the members of the City Council had put themselves very much out of their way to tempt public opinion. He was uncharitable enough to believe that it was the intention of the majority of the members of the City Council to pass the regulations. (Hear, hear.) Even supposing they had passed the regulations, and they had been sent for confirmation to the proper quarter, he would have considered it his duty, from what he had seen of them, to advise the Superintendent to decline to confirm them. C Applause.) He had very great pleasure in supporting the resolution. The Rev. Chas.Fkaseb said he agreed in the main with the first portion of Mr Wilson's resolution. He did not think the City Council were so much to blame for ventilating the subject. He must confess tbat he was surprised at the sharpness of the regulation, but he would be sorry to find it go forth that at a meeting in Christchurch the City Council was censured so strongly as was proposed, for the action they had taken. (Hisses.) With regard to the theatre, be thought that the hour for closing it should be restricted either to eleven or twelve o'clock, and he thought that such restriction would be productive of a wholesome effect, and would tend to elevate its character. He thought that eleven o'clock was long enough for any meeting. ("No, no," and hisses.) He would support Mr Wilson's resolution, if he omitted the final clause thereof. (" No, no," and hisses.) He would move an amendment to tbat effect. The Chairman asked if anyone would second Mr Eraser's amendment. (Cries of «- No, no," and <* Yes.") Mr John Ollivier. characterised the action of the City Council as an attempted infringement on the constitutional rights and liberties of the people. applause.) He believed with the mover of the resolution that if such regulation were enforced, the effect would be productive of a disturbance of law and order. (Applause.) The Act under which the City Council acted had dropped into the Statute Book by mere accident. It was almost a word-for-word copy of the English Act, which no doubt answered very well in a place like London, but would be parfectly inapplicable in Christchurch. (Applause.) He believed that if such regulations as those proposed were attempted to be put into force, the people would rise in open rebellion against such tyranny, nnd tbe by-law would therefore be subversive of law and order. (Applause.) In Timaru, where all sorts of things which were stipulated in the Act of the General Assembly were brought into force, the people were thoroughly sick of the Act. (Applause.) He quite agreed that buil lings let for public amusements should be licensed, but he was opposed to any restriction of hours. (Applause.) He hoped that no oue would leave the Hall with any feelings of ill-will towards the members of the City Council. The Mayor had stated that the City Council would not attempt to thrust the regulations on the people against their wish. (Hear, hear.) He would make this suggestion—that in future the City Council should lay any measure which it wished to pass before the people to offer an opinion upon it before any sanction was sought for in the proper quarter. (Applause.) Mr M. B. Hart, senr., recounted the action which he and Councillor Sawtell had taken in this matter. So long as he was in the City Council he would do that which he believed to be right and for the interest of the people. He had done so in this instance. (Applause.) The motion was put and carried with but one dissentient. Mr J. A. Bird moved, '• That the foregoing resolution be transmitted to bi3 Wor- . ship the Mayor of Christchurch, with a request that he will urge upon the City Council the propriety of withdrawing that portion of its by-law which proposes to fix the hour at which such public buildings shall be closed." He agreed with what had been said by previous speakers, as he believed the regulations ,in question were an infringement on the liberties of the people. (Applause.) Mr 'I. D. Jones seconded the resolution. The Chairman stated that the City Council bad been advised not to call the present meeting, but they were not afraid or ashamed to meet the ratepayers. (Hear, hear.) The resolution was put and agreed to with •only one dissentient. The Chairman said he should take the : earliest opportunity of carrying the resolutions into effect. (Applause). Mr Ollivier proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman. The Rev. C. Fraser seconded Mr Ollivier's motion. He thought the Mayor deserved their thanks for having called them together on such an occasion, and for having elicited the opinion of the public on this matter, tie took part in public meetings in tbis ball too often for any one to imagine that he was favourable to interference with the liberties of public discussion or of rational enjoyment (Cheers.) He was sure that every one present would be pleased to accept the verdict of this meeting, that no necessity had as yet arisen for the passing of the City Council's by-law. They should be proud to belong to a community where orderliness was so generally observed. He believed that strangers visiting this city usually bore testimony to the good order and quietni ss of the streets at all hours. (Cheers.) The resolution was carried, and the proceedings terminated.