THE LICENSING ACT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 829, 29 December 1882, Page 3

THE LICENSING ACT.

the recent mseting of the Grand ...Lpflge of Good Templars, held at J&uigiora, it was decided to appoint . committees to report upon several 1 matters of importance to the Order. The* following is the report of the com:ltoirteedn the attitude to be observed by Good Templars in respect to the Act ~; I*. shat this Grand Lodge has accepted, adopted, and now ro-affirms the important ; principle set forth in the Good Templar’s platform,, and which principle makes it - imperative on the members of this Order to- seak jhe absolute prohibition of the , manufacture, importation, and sale of inR.tnaicating liquors for use as beverages, spj& prohibition to be effected by the will of the people, expressed in due form . ;of law, and enforced with the penalties de- ;. served for its violation.—2. The problem -submitted to your committee was this : flovcan the acceptance of the principle V-Aboye stated be reconciled with the tak~ing of any part in the administration of a Act, more particularly with the . acceptance of a seat on a Licensing Cotn—ijpttqe.—ln order to the solution of the N problem thus submitted to your com'mittee, it will be necessary to set forth as "dearly as may be the powers conferred on -the Licensing Committees by the LicenBiog Act, and as briefly as may ::be the general. scope and spirit of the Licensing Act. (a) As to the ■ powers conferred on the Licensing Comyour committee direct special to section 75, and sub-section 14 3pf:«Sbtion 44, of the Licensing Act. These - axe a* folio we“ Section 75 —The Lice n- ■' sing - Committees shall exercise their discretion, in granting or refusing any certificate for any description of license, and shall not be obliged to grant the same merely because the requirements of the latr as to accommodation or personal fitness of the applicant are fulfilled, unless •i in their opinion there is a necessity for the public-house or other establishment for the sale of intoxicating liquors for -which application is made.” “Section Committee, when once announced by the Chairman, shall not be questioned or reconjndered.” ’ The spirit, scope, and general purpose of the Licensing Act is, in the opinion of your committee, designed to bring the liquor traffic under more im".mediate and active popular control than . waso formerly the case, to protect the people from the injurious effects of the trade, tobring the trade within the nar-

‘ rawest possible limits, and to make the iMrmgetnent of the Licensing Act by licensees more easy of discovery and of punishment The Act is not a Licensing Act only, though for convenience it is socalledl ; The Act is to a large degree restrictive and prohibitory. Under the ; above-noted provisions of the Licensing Act, and in harmony with the purpose ■ and spirit of the Act, it is competent, at the election of Licensing committees, to -raise the question of license or no license, or of any other question relating to the working of the Act. 6. Tour Committee recommend that at every election of licensing committee every Good Templar should support the best and most advanced candidates, and . should use every endeavour to secure the candidature and election of men opposed to the growth of the liquor trrde, and favorable to its restriction and repression. 6. In the opinion; of your Committee, Good Templars themselves should accept seats on licensing committees, with a view to thbexerirfse of restrictive and prohibitory powers' conferred ,‘by the Act. But the formal signing of a license by a Good , Templar who may be chairman of a 'LfonungCommittee is not to be regarded its a violation of his obligation. 7. Every possible effort should be made by the metnßerk bfbur Order to secure a satisfacvote ! under the Local Option ' 'Clauses of the Act. It cannot be hoped - that;'; better t , legislative provision will be made for ,the regulation or restriction of —tha traffic if those who are asking for such legislation, fail to make the best use of the law it*. 8. , Your committee desire to impress bh the membership of the Order ;fn,eyfcry part bf the jurisdiction, the necessity of sustaining with all possible vigorthe agitation for a law which will . submit to the test of the ballot the simple

Siueation not of new license or no new ioanse only as at present, but the quesj .tibn ipure and simple of license or no license.