LICENSING MEETING.,.

West Coast Times, Issue 1328, 24 December 1869, Page 2

LICENSING MEETING. ,.

The County Chairman attended at his office yesterday, for the purpose of dispwsing' of those applications which had been allowed to renew from the first licensing meeting, and owing to the want of a quorum of Justices, were unable to be heard at the adjourned meetin-r. Mr Harvey attended to op; ose the granting of several license*, both in his' capacity, as County Solid' or, and also on behalt of several licensed victuallers of the town.

Sergeant Major Hickson attended for the purpose of producing evidence against the granting of the licenses. ; '

The first applicant called upon was,

Jno. Crouch, Steam Packet Hotel

Mr South appeared on behalf of the applicant, and stated why the application had been adjourned. In doing so, he would state that the Licensing Act' was ; a most extraordinary one. ■In this instance he would not say but that the house was too small for the. business of an hotel-keeper, but the Act required no certain '.number 'of rooms. He would prove that his cl'ent was a respectable person, and fit %o hoUL.alicence, and that the house had not,iasstated, been frequented by thieves and.J prostitutes ; lut if such characters came to j the bar and csaesk'd drink," he 'considered it would be a^ ,nst the publican's interest not to serve them; but he woiild^cqntend that was not a frequenting ; but if,.on the other- li>:i'l, the'licensee allowed such'cha.-; racter.i to sit dawn in the house or lounge-, about' it, then' he considered tint sucli-a-person was .totally unfit to ; bold He would produce a testimonial in favor of Mr Crouch,' 'signed "by the I 'nearest: neighbors. Mr Crouch would also put in., a. respectfully addressed letter, asking that his 'licence miglit be gran ted,' and? that he would , ponform \a ,any regulation" ih the 'ihanngeW nt'-tof his 'house" wliicli'the police .might think, nee^ssarj;. „A; g ?\od was 1 ; f hWght,V)in[d ft'ei-y" properly, , ,w. of , ,W>lj£ereports, but these,, nmstjibe, r&qeiyedjjwith caution, as .sometimes that information as given'tb't'ne'ju'snces w»«. mere hearsay, or" as. the police termed it, from '' information received." He would put in the memoiial and the letter. Mr'Harvey 'would oppose the granting) of the license, and would prove "that the house 1 ' was 1 'the haunt 'of 'improper cbarac,-,, ters. .-, t.'-Ii ./ '' r Detective ßrowne said heknewtheapp'ic'ant's house. ' The accommodation wa.«y .small,. and the persqns who frequent^t were principally persons-: of very improper character, many of them had been convicted t,hieves. Mr and Mrs Crouch' were^ quiet, sober people. Witness had been a publican, and- although he might have served such' characters as he described/witb drink, he would .not have harbored tfcem, or allowed them to habitually frequent the place.; ,- ™ By 'Mr Kouth— lf any bad cha-jt facters came in for a , drink I would have" served "them and then ordered them out. I would not let them sit down. in;

Mr Hoos said that owing to the wnnt af v a quorum in ' the .Resident Magistrate's' Court, he had/ been obliged to adjudicate' on the matter of the adjourned licenses. He had determined to grant Crouch's license for the reason .that no jsuch.strin- ' gent Act Had hitherto existed. Xi He 1 would, however, tell the applicant that he^. must" "keep 1 the- house" respedkblej' and' Wo'u'la he not do so, on'a report from' the police, the license would '«c cancelled. Such characters as"' those ' alluded ' to 1 ' must' riot' be' allowed to loiter about, but must leave after .being served. 'On' these Conditions! the license would be granted. - ' •■ John Vincent, -Terminus' Hotel. w Mr South read a petition^ signed by allt of the-- applicant's) neighbors'- and* many' respectable business men in town. He (Mr South) also st'ateT-tiiat 'his 'clietit had held a license for two and a-half years. In thei first place, the 'police vhsd' stated that the house was in a dilapitated condition ; that i''i>iic> ••;•(<•{ oils 'Ui'SVx \

was nof. the cisc now ; the house is now perfectly clean. Mr liarvey would oppose the application, and would produce evidence in support of the former refusal. Dotfctive Browne said he knew Vincent's Hotel. A man had once reported that he was robbed in the house of £10. Had gone to the hotel to make inquiries into the matter, and was satisfied that the man had been robbed there, but there was aot sufficient evidence. to p-ove it so as to convict, Witness- was unable to identify the money, ai it was in £1 notes. Witness knew that a, woman of bad character was staying in the house until a short time since. Witness had nothing to say against the applicant, and knew very little of Mr Vincent. The man snid be got drunk in the house, and went to bed. At that time he had his money. Witness did not know whether applicant turned the woman out | of the house or not when he found "out her character.

Mr Hoos said there had been certain aspersions thrown on applicant's character, or rather the character of his house, at the first licensing meeting, but as the 'matter had been left in his hands, and for the rr-ason that the law had not previously been very stringent, he would not' be harsh with applicant, and would grant him his license, but thf' applicant must take, notice, and be cautious that his tiou*e was conducted in a proper manner for the future, Otherwise the license would be cancelled.

, Daniel Quadri, West Coast' Hotel. Mr South' appeared for this applicant, and said that it h:ul been stated that his house was a brothel; he, could, prove it was nothing of the Tdnd. The applicant once took a house that h'ad'a bad name attached to it, and ho bad been in bad odor ever since. The applicant had only been in his present house' thvpe weeks before he made application for the license, and there could not . h.ave been much impropriety in ttitifctime.A^— He' would produce a certificate from the • Syndic of* Mayor of Mr Quadri's 'native place, Lugano/inthc k Swiss Confederation, and also a letter or certificate from Inspector Brohara, dated March 2, 1868, stating that applicant had conducted the West Coast Hotel m'-a^prdper 1 manner for , two years. The house which it was said .was ,in bad, repair was now in fiist-rata order, and the applicant intended to keep tbchousei most l respectably.

.Mr . Harvey ; said he ; would strongly oppose the granting of ,. this license, and 'called Sergeant-Major Hickson',\vbo stated that he had known Quadri for four years. jThq.house he.. kept w»is known as a' common brothel. Had seen prostitutes in the house the second evening it had been opened. There was a woman in the bar. that had been brought from Melbourne by applicant. Saw a woman of ill-fame drunk inbedin the house. The woman was in the house until it was closed. She is not a reformed character by lvpute. The woman said she ■ had' been sent for by applicant) and came from .Melbourne. , ,• . , Detective Browne — Knew applicant. The ~*T — '.boase-Avas'a nest of prostitutes. 'There wc-re' two living at the back of the premises that was connected with the hotel. Had seen repeatedly a number of prostitutes in the hotel, laying about ou the sofa. The house is' little better »han a house of ill— 1 fame. ' ' By Mr South — Quadri bears a good character,., Witness , never, saw any men with' the women. By Mr- Harvey Witness did not know much about Mrs Quadri; but did not think it proper that the landlady should mix up with a number of prostitutes. . Sergeant Hams said the hous-e wks the ■resort of prostitutes. Witness knew nothing against Quadri, The applicant, in answer to Mr Hoos, said there was no communication between the hotel and back premises ; and that he would allow the police to inspect the house at any time, and also act up to any suggestions they might offer. , , Mr Hoos said he would grant the licence conditionally, that the applicant closed up all communication between his house and the back pre"m ; ses. aad also that the police ; should hav.e. access at all hours. Applicant appeared itf he of good character; but that was not .sufficient, he would be made responsible for the trood conduct of hishouFe, aud i* not well conducted, his licence would be cancelled, c, .Michael Covancevicb, Swiss Hotel. ' ' Mr ( South, for' applicant, presented a 'memorial signed' by a larg,. number of neighbors' and' 'several merchants. In reference to a woman on whom some imputar tiori'had been cast/ his cHV't would admit that the woman had been in the* house. Slje was the wife.of a countryman, 'who had sent ker.to the' Swiss _ .H^otel ,to stay, and b'ad'alfo sent 'money to' keep' her.* , The \ applicant, on learning ,'tha.t'sbe was of loose , nabitSj'had^giy'en'her'the money and turned hefou't. ■'■■-"-' ';"' i T( ( -;' ' ' r ' ' ( „ Mr Harvey,,in opposing 'the granting of .the lice-rise, said.lie would prove tb-s .house Was 'what had been' st'iteUTand called

I Detective Browne, .jWho^ stated that a robbery 'had ! ber'n'cb'nmnttea in the house. |. Oh ! October '3,^l^6B, amah had. been robbed [iftftfo^ty-two sovereigns: could not positively state that applicant's wife was cognisant of rtTbut he felt certaiu she was. IVom the man's .statement, Mrs Covance-' vich had -acted- in a- very unbecoming ( raannt?r. L jyVitne.es [ had frequently^ seen prostitutes in .the house ; in fact, they had been living' there. *■' Had seen them drinking, aty early {hours in; ( the, morning. j;v Mr South said he would call evidence in favpr of applicant." iK r 'J nierctiarifr ' residing in^Revell-s'tre'et/ near 'the applicant. Had known. him "for two years. He bore 'a' } g(Jda character. '"Never ''saw any disorderly pe ; sb'fTs aboil t the b.ou'-e. Applicant^ had formerly been a, customer of, his, but \ t •\Wi ttox 'sd j n6!wV ; ! Had : k no wn 'him about / •two years and 'a half. -

Mr Hoo< said he would grant the applicant a licence on the same conditions as the cithers— *that he would conduct his house properly, and keep it clean. If applicant j.cpiujiiiVted. a .breach ot these things, his .license would, be cancelled. 1 1( * T^ie 'names of the othc s whose licenses had been refused were called, but they*did not put, in an appearance. J \ 'John "Whitaker,' Provincial Hotel. There was" ho opposition, and the license was -jti t iv \ - ••■ ■ . "< f