THE TEMPERANCE LEAGUE IN COURT.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1354, 5 March 1881, Page 2

THE TEMPERANCE LEAGUE IN COURT.

A bench of Licensing Commissioners consisting of Messrs Northcroft, Fergusson, Wilson and Graham — Mr Northcroft acting as chairman — sat at Cambridge on Thursday, at which the application for opening a second or upstairs bar by Mr A Raynea of the National Hotel was heard. The application was opposed by the Cambridge Temperance Society, for whom Mr Beale appeared as counsel. la support of the application Mr Raynes explained he had been induced to make it at the instigation of his boarders and others, frequenters of the hotel, for whose accommodation the present bar was insufficient. These parties were in the habit of transacting their business in the sitting-rooms situated upstairs, and when they happen to require bar-refresh-ments, they experienced considerable trouble at times in obtaining them, more especially when the lower bar was crowded. He understood that the objectors had been instrumental in getting upa petition against the application. That petition, he assumed was now before the Court, and, if examined, would be found to contain twenty ,odd, signatures, six ox, seven of whom were females. He would ask the Court to read a Jetter which had been sent on the subject 'by one of the objectors, as illustrative of their conduct in the metter. . Mr Beale objected to the letter, being read, .contending that it was addressed ''sfoietly confidential,''" and 'the person .to, whom, it was addressed — Mr Kirk,wood—was not here tQ say .yhethej: ox* not he qqn£urred in the application for Mv Rgyne.RTeplie.d ffo^ the letter jwas sent to hjjjj by $fr |£rkwooa, antj io

.tbkeiv^of kiarijjgßqmescence they would his (Mr'lSirKWDba's) endorsation on the back of it. The Court ruled that it was admissable, and it was read as follows:— Cambridge, 2nd March, iBBt. Dc.ir Sir, — We are opposing the granting of a second'licensc to Sir R.iyncs for his upstairs bar, and believe you can help us by speaking to R. H. D. Fergusson, who is the new commissioner in lieu of John Kunctman resigned. You may put in a good word in that quarter, which wo trust you will do. I do not kn,o>Y; whether I ought to ask }ou.!fdr a.subsoripiionJ3o wards defraying expenses in the caser ofo f 1 ji T. H. W.Mokris At a, late,r stage of the,proceBdings the Ch<i\risaiVsajd. thig}jot|ejF vsa a most reprehensible one. It went to prove that •objectors- must have^onwcleweß^flj"had a very weals rase indepiJ. iJThese men had talked in court a great deal about the moral aspect of the question, Add} yeftthey had attempted in thisluuderuandedlway to influence,the ■Beuqb. • Theresas very little morality in. a , proceeding of that kind.— ln .reply to ",the * Chairman, Mr Rayne's said it would' be a 1 private bar, hi mil.i r to that commonly found jn the better ola*s tr of Hotels/ ' I fle'^c!«i'ltt- have had a far more J{nfluen*hial petition than thatuow befor,e,the Court in favor Tof the application, but he proferred the question should be dealt withsulely.ottitsownmerits The sitting-room upstairs was 18 x 17, and also a second 4itting-~rooin 8 x 14. — Mr Beale said^his clients had tgfkep the position of objectors solely o"n public ground*. They considered the pVopose'd additional bar would render 1 any breach of the law more difficult of detection. They thought; it would be an extra incentive to/Sunday drinking. His chief objection, however, rested on sub-seotion 5 of' section,, 28 of the Act, 1874. The building was,,practically speaking, a new, Qiie ; at all events, large additions had recently, been made, and a portion of these additions hadi been set apart as stores or shops for carrying general business. .Moreover, this application- was, practically* 1 speaking, for a new house, as the additional bar would be situated in that portion, of the, building which had fately beeif added. 1 "MrHay neB dad laid considerable stress on thestatement that the application Jhad been made in the interest, and, indeed, at the instigation of his boarders. He hM-tfiM'uoed no evidence in corroboration of that assertion, and the fact was, that one of his boarders, .Mr" Wright, who had; lived in the house for some years, actually appeared aajone of the objectors.-^ gjlieJUhairman remarked that the objectors Messrs Willis, Morris,'and Bull, and that Wiignt's name did not appear on the list. Further examination proved that, although not »n actual objector, he had -signed the objector's petition.— Evidence was then .led in support of the objections. — Mr D. Carnachan, sworn, said he objected to the application in respect that he considered it would-be' ah <additionAl temptation. An upstairs bar in the National Hotel would, he" a veyy great .tem.ptp.ti9n, and the injunction was : " Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."— In reply to the Chairman, he said a private bar would, in his opinion, be a greater temptation than a public bar, unless the authorities were prepared to provide additional^poliiie aiipe'r vision.— To Mr Fergusson, he said that if a man was inclined to have drink he would have it all the same, whether thetfe was one or two bars.' If there did not 'happen to be an up-stairs bar, he would go to the lower floor bar, or anywhere else he could get the liquor. — In reply to Mr Jttaynes, witness said lie had been twice in the National Hotel, and on these occasions! he preferred having his liquor 'brought up-stairis.? .He preferred having it up-stairs because he thought it was more respectable than to goto the bar. — The Revs.. Messrs Willis and Bull were next examined. Tliey each read lengthened dissertations or essays on the temperance question, the? particular case before the Court being only casually alluded to. — In reply to Mr Raynes, Mr Willis said he did not consider twenty signatures to a petition represented the public 'of .Cambridge; bufthen, in this case, it was Wehty obje6£ors agaiust one applicant, and he thought that fact should weigh. — Mr Bull, in his statement in chief, quoted largely fr6m "Alison's History of Europe," to prove that the sale of cheap whisky and the working of stills were unmitigated evils to a community. — In answer to the Chairman, Mr Raynes said he had no intention of selling " cheap whisky or yet ".working a still." — On being further interrogated, Mr Bull said he objected to the application because it was quite unnecessary, for the public convenience, 1 and likewise detrimental to the public welfare— The Chairman : "Mr Carnac'tiau has just' told us that an up-stcUrs bar would be more respectable than the other could be kept."— Mr Bull : "I entirely differ from the evidence he has given. It is, in my opinion, that the greater facility' afforded, for drinking, the greater amount of drunkenness there will be." — The Chairman : "Mr Carnachan says, in his evidence, ,that if a man is inclined for drink, he will have it. " — Mr Bull : "I differ in that opinion .also." If we increase the facilities for drinking, we will thereby increase the amount of drunk enness. " — Mr Fergusson : "Do you suppose men can be deterred frojm becoming drunkards by the fear of not being respectable ?" Witness : " They are so deterred until they get so low that they lose all sense of self-respect." — Mr-Fer-gusson : "-Then you consider that the man who' takes drink has no self-respect? — Witness : "• I did not 1 understand your former question to refer to the drunkard. As in all bodily diseases, thereare certain ' stages. In the earlier periods they would not do what we find them doing in the later stfiges." — Mr George -Henson objected to the application, as he consider*, d drinking was altogether an J evil," and ought to be abolished. That was hi» opinion. He had' done Without drink for forty years,' and others could do equally well. — Mr Beale : "Do you consider an up-stairs bar would have the effect of aggravating the evil."—^Witness : "I think all bars are calculated to aggravate ; the evil, and I would have them all done away with." — The, Chairman : "Then you would be in favour of doing away with public-houses altogether. Is that what we are to understand ?" — Witness : " Yes, unless for lodging-hous* purposes." Being f qrther interrogated, he said he did not know much about public-house bars, but he should Jook np^bfltji public and private bars as a great curse. He did not see how 11 hotel should) not pay without a license. Private boardiqg-Jiousea and temperance hotels 1 could be made to pay wifchonfo them. » The >, Court [called Constable Brenhan, who stated-, that he knew many hotels doing most respectable business, provided with two bam , To an establishment like the National Hotel, an up-stairs bar would, be a great public con* veniepce* The JSationajh }lotyil a respectably-c<Hidncted ( «stablishraeiit, and a number of respectable people frequented it. He .did no.t iliirik up-stairs bar \ would be ;an, inducement, tsi Sunday trading." It^} tendencies .certainty would not be to increase criniei ' He did not see how he would tend, to increaae'dr^ulkenness. ' He had access' to.'ine'n'ouee at all times, a^d, it, would* jua't tie as'pasy for him to detect" any breach of, the law. with an up-stairs bar. as ,not. The license was granted without further comment.

A ma^bu? ip?EjessifCE.~ Some men g^ina. high prize for » trifle, and, others r pay a high price for a* trifle*, the hitter, ' ye^ believe,' are the. moac 'numezjbas.

>. IHB HBIOHT OF INGKATITUDB.-^A man W«* 'fa) Bjaqe.'