QUARTERLY LICENSING MEETING.

Evening Star, Issue 3055, 3 December 1872, Page 2

QUARTERLY LICENSING MEETING.

This Day. Before A, C. Strode, Esq., E.M. ; H. S. Fish, Esq., K.M. ; 1. N. Watt, Esq., 11.M.; Jas. Fulton, Esq., R.M. ;W. D. Murison, W, J. M. Laruach, J. Brown, and J. Grilfen, Esqrs., J.P.’s. TRANSFERS. There being no objection on tin part of the police, the following applications for transfer of licenses were granted : —Scandinavian, W. Winstanley to C. Woodley ; East Taicri hotel, to Margaret Freer ; Australasian, M'Hutcheon to .lames Shields ; Caledonian, F. Krull to Park Cottar ; Star aud Carter, M. Cohen to W. Watson; Anchor, John Hornby to Arthur Hornby. On the application of Samuel Webb for a transfer from Mich. Butler of tJtte license of the Royal Exchange hotel, Walker street, the Commissioner of Police mentioned that it was one of the houses that had been objected to; but since then it had been very considerably improved by the applicant who had gone to some expense aud made the best place possible of it.- Mr Stout, who appeared for Webb, said be had spent LISO in improving the premises; and it was now as good a second-class hotel as was to be found in tho town. —Mr Strode : Will the applicant keep the house himself? Mr Stout replied in the affirmative.—Mr Strode : What is the class of the house? The Coramisraisioner of Police said hitherto it was of a very bad class, and was in the worst part of the town. On visiting the place yesterday he was agreeably surprised to see the place so greatly improved.—Mr Strode : But as to the customers ? The Commissioner : Tho class of customers encouraged by the late occupants was the people living in the neighborhood, who, as I have already said, were bad. The consideration of the application was adjourned until after the others were dealt with. The application was dec ined.

On the application of Francis Krull for a transfer of the license of the Cornwall Arms, George street, from HJ. J. Sande>s, Mr Harris, who appeared for him, said he believed an objection had been lodged against the former occupant by the Commissioner of Police ; but that objection could not be urged against the present one, who had for many years past creditably conducted hotels in other parts of the town. Mr Harris then read two memorials in favor of the granting of the license -one signed by 80 or 90 residents in the immediate neighborhood; the other by 40 Germans, who recommended the house as a convenient place for receiving “ advice and information.” During Sanders’ occupancy, a counter memorial, had been signed by 13 persons ; but on learning that Krull intended to apply for the license they had withdrawn their signatures from it, and attached them to the other memorial. The Commissioner of Police said the house, under Saunders’ occupancy, was disgracefully conducted. -Mr Strode : The fact that he had a prostitute as barmaid was perfectly notorious. —The Commissioner : The license could not be taken from him immediately ; we had to wait for twelve months until the matter again came before your Worships; then petition was resorted to. There was no objection to Mr Krull, whose character wasquite good; but I must tell your worships that when 1 inspected the house recently I found six small attic bedrooms, 7 x 7ft.; two sitting-rooms, 12 x 14, and a cellar-like room beneath the kitchen ; while there tvas no place of cenvenience. The house is not yet finished, and the class of the house itself is but third-rate. Mr Harris mentioned that the applicant had only been in the bouse nine days ; that it was his intention to make further improvements, and suggested that there should be a postponement to allow of them being made. Mr Strode ; There is no objection to Mr Krull, who has carried on his business very respectably (I am bound to say that); what the Bench has to consider is, whether a house of this class is required, and in the opinion of a majority of the Bench it is not. The application must, therefore, be declined. William Keill applied for a transfer of George Wright’s bottle license. The Bench unanimously declined to grant the application.

Thomas White aupli d fir removal of his license to a house at the corner of Dowling and Smith streets. Mr Edward (look appeared on behalf of Mr Pope, who had put in an application for a bottle license for the Bell Tower store, to which it was proposed to transfer the license. White stated that he had f even teen days’ notice to quit the store He offered to sell the license to Pope, with the fixtures, but refused to sell one without the other. The Bench declined to grant either application, as they were of opinion that there was no necessity for another licensed store in that neighborhood. James Beveridge, Walker street, applied for a bottle license. The Commissioner of Police observed that a bottle license in that neighborhood would do as much injury as an hotel. The Bench refused to grant the application.

GENERAL LICENCEJ. C. Galloway applied fur a general license Mr >touc supported the application, lor the eleventh time, and represented that after passing the Octagon, no house was provided with equal accommodation, and that some years back there were more licensed houses than now, while the population waa increasing, and had increased. No objection W’as made by the Police, as the house was respectably conducted as a boarding house, and was suitable for a hotel. Application granted. John Pugh Jones applied for a general license. Mr Stout, for the applicant, presented a memorial, signed by the inhabitants of St, Hilda, and neighboring land-holders, asking that tip s liperisj* shquld b® grafted; .especially ag thepo wag nq licensed hoqsp ty’ithuj a gopsiderablo distance, whilft it was in a qpigqbofhqod whpre a hqusq was qped®d. The Commissioner of Police remarked thg hoqse was a cottage, tp bo converted iftto ft hotel if t)ie license was granted. M r Stpiifc said there were seven roopis in it> and m P r ft would be added if liceu§ed. Application declined.

James Campbell’s application was supported by Mr Edward l ook, Mr Harris objected ou the ground that the present tenant, Jeffry Williams, w'as in possession of the license. Mr ti arris maintained that the application was made in consequence of a dispute between the landlord and tenant, with which the Court had nothing to do. That the lease expired on the 23rd August, that Williams was now a yearly tenant of the applicant, at L 225 per annum, and could not be ejected by legal notice ; and that the applicant had no locus standi,— Mr Cook |9»

nlied but on the intimation by the Bench that the coast was not clear, as the license would be retained by Williams on payment nf the fee at the Treasury. Mr Cook asked fjr a postponement until ft log* right was obtained. —Tile Bench refused the applica“james ScanWs application fa» «““« for the Shamrock and Thistle Hotel. Mr Harris for the applicant,—l he; r o mmissioner of Police said the house had be rebuilt and was now well calculated for a hotel. Application granted, on condition of the house being furnished before the end of the year. James Kelly applied for a general license for a hotel on theßlueakm road. It was supported by Mr Harris and opposed by Mr Stout, on the grounds there were too many houses on that road, and that it had been built on speculation and was not needed. He presented a memorial signed by two per-sons.-Mr Harris replied, and said one of the memorialists had been a principal supporter of several illicit stills which once existed on the Blucskiu road, and that, with the two exceptions objecting, every settler for turec or four miles on the line of road hod signed a counter-petition. The application W applied for the twelfth time for a license for a house at the corner of St Andrew and Great King streets. Mr Harris supported the application, mainly on the ground that a license had been granted to the opposite house. Application declined. E Machin applied for a license for the London Tavern, Walker street. Mr Stout appeared for the applicant. The police had formerly objected to the house, but improvements had been made.—The Commissioner of Police objected that no improvement had been made rendering it a desirable house to live in, and that already there were houses equal to the requirements of the neighborhood Application declined, as the Bench desired, if possible, to reduce this class of

houses. , James Marshall made application for a license for the Railway Tenuous. Dunedin. Mr Haggit- appeared tor the applicant. This was an application for a General license for the refreshment rooms of the Dunedin and Port Chalmers radway, to be also used by the Clutha Railway. No express provision was made for such licenses, but the same absence of specific provision existed in Victoria and in Canterbury. In Southland, as there were no refreshment rooms licenses were not required. In America oars were licensed so that refreshments could be furnished on the road. In fact, everywhere throughout the world refreshments were provided. iiie rooms contained every requisite for an inn excepting sleeping accommodation, which would be added if required.-ihe Bench asked who Mr Marshall was.—Mr Haggitt could not say ; he believed some one appointed bv the promoters to superintend the rooms.-The Commissioner of Police said he believed it was Mr James Marshall, the brewer.—The Bench wished positive information as to the actual holder of the license. The consideration of the application was deferred for a week, m order that full information might he given as to whether the applicant would be the horn Jvle holder of the license, and whether the accommodation would be in accordance, with the Ordinance. The Bench requested that one of the should be present to answer any inquiries. Michael Rowland, Eagle Tavern, was supported in his application by Mr Haggitt who said that a great improvement had taken place in the style of conducting the house, which was perfectly suited to the neighborhood. The Commissioner of Police stated that it was true much improvement had taken place, but the business was not conducted in the spirit of the Ordinance.—Application declined. , John Tuck, Water of Leith Hotel, applied for a license, Mr Haggitt for the applicant. He pointed out that the change of direction in the main road by the Government (illogaily, as he contended) had diverted the traffic, and rendered it impossible to improve the premises, through the heavy rent charged for some Other arrangements were made for repairing the house, ''hich would be made as soon as the work could be done —The Commissioner of Police said his complaint was that th« house was not properly conducted : there was not a worse conducted house in the city, nor one in a more filthy state.—The Bench said it was well known what description of house it was. —Application declined. The following objections were lodged by the police, and dealt with by the Bench as follows James Scanlon, objection withdrawn ; John E. Sanders, Cornwall Arms, license cancelled. . rT . , , T Alexander Muir, Old England Hotel. Mr Harris appeared to support the continuance of the license. He contended that the house contained all the accommodation required bv law ; it had been licensed many years,, and when objections had been made previously, the necessary alterations had immediately been made. The Bench said that several objections were in their hands, as the applicant had been mixed up with several gambling transactions. Mr Farris said the objection had not been urged by the Commissioner of Police, and the charges had never been proved. The license was cancelled. Michael Butler’s license was cancelled. Thna. Mackay The Commissioner of Police said there was no objection to the applicant; it was only to the house. The Bench cancelled the license, as there was not the accommodation required by law. Adjourned till Tuesday at noon.