QUARTERLEY LICENSING COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 74, 16 March 1880, Page 3

QUARTERLEY LICENSING COURT.

Saturday, March 13. (Present —Messrs. F. Guinness (Chairman), C. P. Cox, and H. T. Winter, Commissioners.) TRANSFER OF LICENSES. John Tisch applied for transfer of license from R. Morgan.—Granted. Some reports of the police were presented, commenting upon the conduct of certain licenced houses in the district. The Bench said that as no offences'were charged, and no convictions had been obtained, there could be no cognisance taken of the report of the police. Mr. Branson said that one of his clients Mr. Wallace was charged with having had drunken men outside his house. He would like to know what connection such a statement could have with his client. There was a charge also of a man being found dead outside the house. An inquest was held, and it was clearly proved that Mr. Wallace had both refused the man and' his wife drink, or lodging, and at the inquest on that man he had made a request to the coronor that the police should visit his house at frequent intervals, as there were frequently large numbers of men men about the place over whom he could not possibly exercise control. He would say, and could prove it if necessary, that this was a case of persecution on the part of Sergeant Pratt against his client, and more than that, the Sergeant had, whilst in plain clothes, endeavored to find out from men in other hotels something whereon to base a charge against Mr. W allace. Another equally absurd charge had been brought against Mr. Duncan McKenzie, of the Ashburton Hotel, who had a quasi charge made against him for having a man suffering from delirium tremens taken from his house to the hospital. He. (Mr. Branson) was prepared to prove, on the most indisputable evidence that, previous to the day'in question, the man had not been near the townsh'p.Jind that Mr. McKenzie had acted in a most piHse worthy manner towards him. The Chairman said the Commissioners could not entertain the complaints laid, as they had no power to inflict punishment. The only charge they could take cognisance of was one in which a penalty had been inflicted in the R.M. Court. Those entered on the report were vague and not within the jurisdiction of the Commissioners. Sergeant Pratt would like to know if there was any use in the police making reports. The Chairman said of course it was the duty of thfffi&e to report to the Commissioners thuTvanner in which a licensed house was conducted, but it must be obvious to him that they could not entertain a charge which had yet to tried, or one which had failed to be substantiated. He would request the police to make more frequent visits to Chertsey, and as it was easily accessible by train the police would not be put to any great inconvenience. The Court then adjourned.