THE DIRECT VETO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4704, 24 July 1893, Page 1

THE DIRECT VETO.

-tJPUBLIC MEETING. The sisth of the series of united temper- . ance meetings waß held last evening in the Tuam street hall, there being a very large attendance. Mr T. E. Taylor occupied the chair. The Eev F. W. Isitt said ho was not one of those who was disturbed at the statements that these fortnightly temperance meetings unsettled the congregations of the churches and that it was wrong to hold political meetings on a Sunday. The Bill of Sir Eobert Stout, proposing to amend the Licensing Act, was now past the stage of a notice. Its first line set forth the advisablene3B of letting the people have a more direct power in connection with the granting of licenses. The speaker characterised the Bill aa a most fair one in several particulars, though matters of detail required, in his opinion, certain Amendments. A feature of the Bill was that all licensing elections should be held on one day ; another was that inferred bias did not invalidate men from sitting on a Licensing Committee. Meetings should be held all over the country to urge a " wobbling " Government to wobble over to the side of Sir E. Stout's Bill. He was sanguine of the result of the temperance cry, which, he said, was swelling into a mighty shout. The people of the Colony had made up their minds. Several districts had declared for the direct veto, and he bade intending Parliamentary candidates to note the trend of public feeling. The Natives, he averred, had great antipathy to publichouses, and be read a protest that he had received from a Maori district, protesting against the opening of a houße. The speaker then mentioned the " mockery of the law " in fining a drunkard for being drunk and allowing his family to starve. He then touched on the case of a young man who, he said, had died a victim, indirectly, of drink. In God's eyes this young man had been murdered, and the publicans who had supplied him with drink were murderers. The young fellow had inherited a weakness for liquor, and the publicans had profited by that weakness, had enticed him to give way to it and had therefore slain him. He contended that sacrifices— more horrible than those of ancient days — were daily offered up on the altar of Bacchus. He did not know what was the matter with newspapers— they said anything tut the right thing ; ! exposed no abuses and advocated no reforms. They stood aloof and criticised only forward movements. He concluded his address by an exhortation to agitation on all Bides that the fiend of drink might be driven from the land. The Chairman read a letter from Judge Thompson, of San Francisco, California. The letter set forth the Jndge's impressions of prohibition of the liquor traffic, and quoted Government statistics to show the effects of prohibition in decreasing crime and benefiting the people in every direction. Mr Taylor, continuing, said that a few weeks ago the Sydenham people were exercised to know whether the opponents of Temperance had not dug a pit for themselves in connection with the local option vote. To aettle the question with j regard to the granting of licenses the i Supreme Court had been invoked. The judgment of his Honor Mr Justice Denniston, had been distinctly in the favour of the Temperance Party. His Honor had held, as they knew, that a lecU option poll was necessary in each new licensing district of Sydenham before a Committee had power to grant new licenses. He then read a telegram that he bad sent to the Hon W. P. Eeeves, as follows:— j "Justice Dennißton'a decision to-day being in our favour, our party wishes to protest against any permission being granted to license-holders that shall exempt them from operation of licensing law. We intend enforcing law if sale of liquor continued." The next day he had sent another: — "Eeferring yesterday's telegram, wish point out creation new licensing district Sydenham, resulting in "Denniston'a decision. Entirely work of our opponents. They cannot jußtly claim any concussion. Trust police force will be instructed enforce law." To these Mr Eeeves had replied : — " Can only say what I aaid to deputation of brewers yesterday, namely, tha 1 : the opinion of the Crown law officers will be taken, and the matter laid before Cabinet. Government's one object is to administer the law fairly and impartially." After the deputation had waited on Mr Inspector Broham, Mr Smith and himself had been authorised to send the following telegram:— "lnspector Broham informs deputation Sydenham residents police will proceed against licensees affected by Denniston'a decision when satisfied licenses qua3hed ; decision quashes certificate, license therefore fall?. See Roche's case, 7, N.Z. Law Eeports, 206. Please instruct Inspector act promptly." To this the following reply was received: — "Minister for Justice cannot instruct police, whole matter ia in hands of Police Department, which will take such action as seems to it best. — C. J. A. Haselden, Under-Secretary for Justice." He then telegraphed to the Premier :— " Inactivity of police authorities in giving effect to Justice Penniston's decision quashing three hotel licenses in Sydenham, confirming popular impression your Government practically controlled by liquor interests." He also wired to Mr Reeves : — •' Inspector Broham still holds Denniston's decision quashes certificate, not license. Inaction police compsle citizens to institute private prosecution, a fact discreditable alike to Government and police authoriti'E. Machinery law apparently controlled by liquor party." To this the following reply came :— " Eegret tone and form of your telegram to Minister for Justice. Government's duty is to allow the law to be carried out impartially, and Ministers have not interfered in favour of either party. As you must be aware, the point as to whether the removal of certificate quaeb.es license is a very difficult one, and those who had obtained quashing certificate Bhould blbo proceed to quash license. When that ia done, and should the police not then take action, there would be good ground for complaintp. Whether they can now act is very questionable, and matter has been referred to law officers, whose advice Government are strictly following. If, hovrevsr, I am to communicate with you again, the unwarrantable innuendo suggested in your telegram to Hon Mr Eeeves and myself must be withdrawn. —R. J. Seddon." There might be something in the point raited that the decision of the Judge quashed the certificates and not the licenses as well, although to lay minds it Beemed absurd that any fabric could exist when the foundation was taken away. However, the logic of common sense was not always the logic of the law courts. In view of facts known to him and documents in bis possession, he declined to withdraw the statement that the Government was practically controlled by the liquor iatereats. He contended that the Government had shown its interest in the liquor traffic, and that the last two telegrams were justified. In proclaiming new licensing district?, and in various ways, the Government had shown a leaning towarda the liquor party. From what had occurred in the Sydenham district alone trie assertion that the machinery of the law v/aa largely controlled by the liquor interests was justified. Ho did not; say that things would be | d fie rent did Mr Ko'leston and his party j occupy the Governinenb benches. The positioa would be just the same did that ; happen, and would alwoya be the same until conscientkus men made up the#er- (

tonnel of the Government. Ha did not criticise the preßent Government, for he considered much bad been obtained from it in many directions. The Eev J. O'Bryen Hoare then addressed the meeting, speaking of the deputation of brewers and licensed victuallers that had waited on the Premier in regard to the Licensing Act Amendment Bill. It was one of the greatest evidences of the strength of the Temperance Party when the brewers said that the passing of that Bill meant the destruction of their business. He characterised that deputation as mostludicrous. After speaking on the licensing question the speaker Baid that had Mr Taylor told the Government that it was under " baok-stairß" influence, he would have been better understood, and no answer could have been made. He then spoke of bias and the way in which it was applied. He called prohibition a " necessary evil," although he was somewhat afraid of being misunderstood. It was a case of doing something uncomfortable in order to protect the community. Education was exerting a vast influence for good all over the country, and the " direct vote" could now be entrusted to the people. The singing of the doxology closed the meeting.