THE LICENSING LAW IN AUCKLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 2918, 26 June 1872, Page 3

THE LICENSING LAW IN AUCKLAND.

The disputes over Permissive Bills and Licensing Ordinances in Auckland have landed the Licensing Bench of that city in a pretty difficulty. At the last licensing meeting, there were no less than twelve justices on the Bench ; and the business proceeded satisfactorily until the cases of publicans whose licenses had been refused in consequence of a conviction of once selling liquors on Sunday, came to be dealt with. It was then announced that the Bench considered it had no power to reopen those cases. The whole of the lawyers present urged that the Bench were bouud to grant the licenses, because the convictions had not been proved; and further, that there must be three convictions of a similar character against a publican before his license could be cancelled. A warm discussion ensued between the Bench and Bar, and ultimately, through an accession to the number of J.P. the previous decision was overruled. Mr Beckham, K.M., the presiding justice, with four others thereupon retired, and the Mayor taking the vacant chair, adjourned the meeting. The Herald commenting on these proceedings, observes that the lawyers wore eloquent on the hardships to individuals by having their licenses reused j but they quite overlooked the injury inflicted on society by the liquw traffic. Mr Beckham brought out this point in a forcible manner. He said, in reply to Mr MacCormick : man saw the abject misery that we sec every day—women coming to ask the intercession of the Courtorphans brought here whose parents had been brought to ruin—men and women, too, in the most frightful state of debility, filth, and misery ; and all brought about because the publicans will break the law.” Now this is a far more serious matter than any possible consideration in fava- of persons who desire to engage in a business which brings such ruinous consequences on individuals, and society at large. But, says Mr MaoOormick, who on this occasion appeared for the publicans, “With great respect, these matters are very dreadful ; but if it be thought to make people sober, moral—to put down drunkenness and other vices bv law, I am afraid, so long as human nature is what it is, you will not succeed.” Now, with all respect to the learned gentleman, he entirely begged the question. The Chairman desired to administer the law in the direction of limiting the number of public-houses ; counsel urged that the law should be administered with a view of increasing their number—or, in other words, he desired to make the Licensing Act an instrument for the demoralisation and degradation of the people. The proceedings at the adjourned Licensing Court in Auckland furnish an unanswerable argument in favor of those clauses in Mr Pox’s Bill, which relieve “the great unpaid” from the performance of this im-

portant judicial function, and prevent the appearance of lawyers in support of applications for licences.