WHAT ARE ENTERTAINMENTS?

Evening Star, Issue 3539, 26 June 1874, Page 2

WHAT ARE ENTERTAINMENTS?

To the Editor.

—Some curious decisions are sometimes given in Courts of Justice, and when they are presided over by honorary Justices >f the Peace one is not surprised, the general exclamation being, “ What else can you expect when men without any special -raining are allowed to dispense law and justice.” It, however, occasionally happens that paid magistrates give decisions whic» are, to say the least, “ peculiar.” These remarks are called forth by a perusal of the case Bain v. Carr, wherein the defendant (the well-known mesmerist) was summoned for not paying a license as provided by the Theatres Ordinance. The Ordinance, after describing particularly what shall comprise a stage play or entertainment, further says It shall include “every sort or kind of entertainment, exhibition, or amusement to which admission, shall or may be procured by payment of money or ticket.” These words appear to be plain and sufficiently comprehensive to cover almost anything; yet we find our R.M. declaring, •• I am afraid I cannot stietch the Act to meetthis case.” One would have supposed it required no stretching.” Does the Magistrate. mean to say that that which Dr Carr sells the public is neither “an entertainment, exhibition, or amusement;” and if not, what in the name of fortume is it? The verdict, however, is the funniest part, for we find the Magistrate, in dismissing the case, recommending the defendant to pay If it was not an “entertainment, exhibition, or amusement,” and that it was not so, in the opinion of the Bench, is clear, from the fact ef the case being dismissed then why should the Doctor be recommended to pay a fee that the Bench had just told him he had no legal right to pay. It appears clear to my unsophisticated mind that the worthy K.M. must have been wrong somewhere, either in dismissing the case or recommending the payment of the fees, or posaibly m both.—l am. &c., One of the Great Unpaid. Dunedin, Jane 25.