ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 98, 26 June 1877, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

[We are at all times ready to give expression to every shade of opinion, but in no case do we hold ourselves responsible for the sentiments of our correspondents.] TO THE EDITOR OF THE AKABOA MAIL. . ♦ : — : — Sir, —A petition, very numerously signed, opposing the establishment of a licensed house at Little River, was recently laid before the Licensing Bench, and I appeared last Tuesday, and also on the sth instant, before that Bench to represent my own objections, as well as those entertained by many who signed the petition ; but through non-observance of a formality, of the existence of which I was ignorant, I debarred myself of the right of stating my objections. The erudite counsel of the applicant for his license naturally availed himself of this lapsus of mine, and demurred to my being heard. The Court could not otherwise than acquesce, and hence my mouth was all but closed ; and I conceive I am in consequence justified in penning this letter to the Mail. The decision arrived at by the Bench being such as the petitioners urged, all that need be said on that score is, that their decision will confirm the well-being, and yield unalloyed satisfaction to nine-tenths of the population of the district, and is an ascendancy of desirable over undesirable influences. But in a social contest of this kind, that satisfaction arising from success may suffer no abatement; it is essential that none but honourable weapons be employed. Now, it was intimated in the Court that all of the signatures to the petition were not authentic, and as I know that every signature was authentic, it is necessary I should declare, it, seeing that in the Court I was not permitted to do that which I was prepared to do, that is, to prove that every signature was genuine. Three young men, by whom the whole of those signatures were attested, were in the Court on each of the days of sitting, prepared to testify, on oath, if required, to the genuiness of every signature attached to the petition; and their presence at the Court involved no slight sacrifice, as it necessitated a ride of upwards of forty miles at each sitting.' With reference to the age of persons signing, the utmost care was also taken that no one should sign who had not attained the age of twenty-one; and several young persons who had attained that age a week before the final sitting of the Court, but were a few hours short of it when the petition was sent in, had their names omitted. I send you the names of three such, but not for publication. This will serve as an instance of the caution that was exercised in receiving names to the petition. Again, the counsel of the applicant for the license sought to make the petitioners and their petition subjects of derision. He said "it would be as reasonable the petitioners should object to a chemist's shop being opened because poisons were there sold, as to object to a licensed house because spirits were sold in it." But there is more sound than sense in this argument, as may be demonstrated by a very brief analysis. For instance, a chemist's shop is not a place where men and women congregate, and boys and girls are accustomed to spend frequently half-hours and whole ones, days and nights, and even at times much longer periods, in the pursuit of accommodation or dissipation, as is the case with licensed houses ; hence there, is no analogy beeween the two. Further, the sale of the chemist's poison is edged about with restrictions. No one can buy it except in the presence of a , ■witness, , , and in limited quantities. The sale has to be recorded in a book kept for that purpose, and the parties to the tiansaction must attach their names to the book ; but similar precautions are not observed in the sale of spirits, and here again there is no. analogy between the two callings. Our Bishops and Judges do not proclaim from pulpit and bench, that the chemist's shop and the influences emanating from it, deprive the father of his solicitude, and the mother of her tenderness in fact that they deprive man of all that is manly, and rob woman of all that renders her attractive; that they fill our gaols with criminals, and our asylums with lunatics, and our land with pain and an unellevjated misery. Our Bishops and Judges do not proclaim this, and therefore, there is no analogy between a chemist's shop and a licensed house ; and the learned counsel's comparison is a most unhappy one, reflecting not a particle of discredit upon the petitioners. —I am, &c, G. R. JOBLIN. Pilgrims Hatch, June 20th, 1877.

(to the editor op the akaroa mail.) Sir, —The Licensing Bench and' their proceedings have attracted a great deal of attention in this district lately, and by your leave I will make a few remarks on what Mr. Inwood, the solicitor said, in relation to those who opposed the granting of a license for. a house at Little River. In the first piace he says, that those Avho petitioned against the license being granted, were only " the Joblins, the Reynoldss, and the millowners." Now this is entirely incorrect. That these families did entirely oppose the petition I admit, and say it to their credit; but there _were many opposed it besides them, and some of whom were older settlers, and larger families. In truth there was scarcely a family in the, district who were not opposed to it. The oldest and most respected among the bushmen were almost entirely opposed to the license being granted. Then the school committee, the library committee, -the twO schoolmasters, the Revr's Mr. Otway, Mutu, and Stack were also strongly opposed and unanimously so to attribute the opposition to two or three families, is a misrepresentation or mistake. Those few names that were signed to the application for the license represented a very insignificant minority. Some of them might call themselves heads of families, but might more correctly be termed hindrances, and some of them already regret having signed the application. Mr. In wood also compares the opposition to a licensed house, to the opposition to a chemist's shop, but it must

be a strange head that can discern in what he comparison consists. He might with « as much • propriety have compared Sir Astle5 T Cooper to Nana Sahib, or the Quakers to the Thugs. Hie object of the chemist is to vend drugs that shall assuage the pain, and mitigate the tortures to whicfr sad humanity is liable ; hiss object is to remove those manifoft sufferings, of which licensed houses are s6 teemingly productive. His business may therefore be re- , garded in some respects as an antidote to the licensed house, but differs as \*jj]Ldely from it as the surgeons bandage differs from the shattered bone, or the disease from its remedy. But, iftt&tough one cannot understand the comparison between a chemist's shop and a licensad house one can understand the objection made to Mr. G. R. Joblin being heard in support of the prayer of the petition. Had Mr. Joblin but obtained the opportunity, the result would, not have been different to what it is ; but Inwood's arguments would have received the attention they needed, for Mr. Joblin has ability to comprehend a sound argument, or an unsound one, and "garrulity" sufficient to enable him to state the first and refute the last in clear and forcible language.. If some of the yonng men yclept solicitors were endowed with similar capacities, it might be better for their clients, and their ability to earn a fee might be more on a par with their readiness to receive one.—Yours, &c, ■ A BUSHMAN.

(TO THE EDITOR OS , THE AKAROA MAIL.) Sir, —Knowing how willing you are to give your help in forwarding anything for the good of Akama, let me beg you to forward the cause of the Horticultural Society which has been very unhealthy this last year, so much so as not to be, able to lift up its head to the public. So long as Akaroa's beauty and its merits are highly spoken of, it is a pity this society should not hold a very promiuent position, as there is the means in hand, aided by a genial climate, fit to enable us to compete with larger communities than our own, who, though they have the means of getting many different varieties of flowers, &c, have not the means to grow them so freely. Now an opportunity certainly offers itself, so that this society may be enabled to show the beanties of nature to an advantage that it never had before, and will redeem our character for flowers as well as fruits. "* The domain having been laid out with. trees, shrubs, pathsf,seats. &c, require something more than this, to complete the beauty of the place. The fine views to be * seen from its different positions, will be heightened by the trees and shrubs being interspersed with flowers, and the little valleys made interesting and lovely. As. there are gentlemen who would willingly give a supply if the effort should be appreciated by the public; this and the show of flowers, plants, and fruits, would greatly enhance the beauty and name of Akaroa by those who visit this beautiful, place, and would give satisfaction to every inhabitant. Hoping that this appeal will be received kindly,, -and the effort which will shortly be made by the few who are willing to still continue such a noble a object as the Horticultural Society proposes will meet with such aid and help as. is necessary to enable the Committee to carry out this seasons show in a manner to do credit to* all concerned'so as not to be behind other communities who have not the means of Akaroa. Hoping you will do all you can to aid this Society to carry outits objects— I am, &c. j, FORGET-ME-NOT.