5

E..—5

instant, giving a report of the procedings of the meeting at which the certificate was granted, and of the 10th instant, giving the comments of the editor in a leading article on those proceedings. I have, &c, Andrew Thompson, Inspector. The Commissioner of Constabulary, Wellington.

Waiaeeka Licensing Meeting. [Extracts from tlio Oamaru Mail, 10th June, 1886.] The licensing meeting for the Waiareka district took place at the Courthouse to-day, when there were present: Messrs. Falconer (Chairman), Cox, Thompson, and McLaren. The police reported favourably upon all the houses, and renewals were granted to the following: Weston Hotel, Weston ; Eailway Hotel, Windsor ; Eailway Hotel, Ngapara ; Terminus Hotel, Ngapara; and Teaneraki Hotel, Enlield. A transfer of the license of P. O'Grady for the Eailway Hotel, at Weston, was granted to P. Buckley. An application was made by Mr. Butt for a new license for Jeremiah Kenny, Kenton, and he presented a petition in favour thereof signed by upwards of one hundred residents and travellers in the district. Inspector Thompson submitted that the Committee could not entertain the application, seeing that the local-option vote taken in the district was averse to any new license being granted. Mr. Butt submitted that Inspector Thompson could not point out any clause of the Act which would prevent the Committee from granting the license. Inspector Thompson read the clauses relating to this matter, and submitted that this showed very clearly that the application could not be granted. Mr. Butt said there was nothing to prevent the Committee granting the license if they thought fit to grant it. He meant there could be no penalties imposed upon them. Inspector Thompson submitted that it was not a matter of penalties. He also submitted that the petition was not in accordance with the Act, as it did not say how far the parsons who signed it lived from the house. Mr. Butt submitted that this was not necessary, and he asked the Committee to hear Mr. Kenny. Mr. Kenny was then heard in support. He stated that the local-option vote was not properly taken, insomuch as it was not taken at Windsor, and the vote which was taken at Ngapara was corrupt. Inspector Thompson said that it was now too late to upset the vote. Mr. Thompson, Columella, one of the Committee, stated that he lived near to Mr. Kenny, and he testified as to the house being very necessary. The Chairman did not think there was sufficient to warrant the Committee going in the face of the local-option vote, otherwise he could bear out his colleague Mr. Thompson's remarks about the house being necessary. He held that if they granted the license they went in opposition to the local-option vote. The police reported favourably upon the house, but they stated that Mr. Kenny had been fined £40 for an illegal sale. Inspector Thompson urged no objection to granting the license except the result of the localoption vote. Mr. Kenny said that the license was granted to a house in Georgetown in opposition to the local-option vote. The records were turned up and ie was found that this was not the case, the local-option vote being in favour of an increase. The Chairman said it rested with the Committee, and he would take the vote upon the question. The question was put, when Messrs. Cox, Thompson, and McLaren voted that it be granted. The Chairman said that he was in a minority even with his deliberative and casting vote, so he would fall in with the dictum of the majority. The license was granted, and the fee fixed at £5. The Committee also decided to grant licensees permission to extinguish their outside lights when their houses were closed.

Of the many strange acts performed by Licensing Committees that of the Waiareka Committee in granting the license of Jeremiah Kenny yesterday is the strangest. This was done in defiance of a local-option vote by which the people intimately interested determined that no new licenses were to be granted in their district. The proceedings at the meeting were of a most extraordinary character. Mr. Kenny presented a petition in favour of the license signed by upwards of a hundred residents and travellers in the district, and when Inspector Thompson contended that the license could not be legally granted in opposition to the local-option vote Mr. Butt, who appeared for the applicant, challenged the Inspector to point to any clause of the Act that would prevent the Committee from granting the license. The Inspector, with facility, demonstrated his view of the case. Then Mr. Butt explained that he meant that the Committee would not subject itself to any penalty if it granted the license. The Inspector said that it was not a matter of penalties, and that the petition was not in accordance with the Act, as it did not sjfcate the distance of the signatories' residences from the house. Mr. Butt having remarked that that was not required, Mr. Kenny argued that the local-option vote was improperly taken, inasmuch as it was not taken at Windsor, and the vote