GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3565, 27 July 1874, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Electric Telegraph.]

Wellington, July 25. In the House of Representatives, yesterday, the Premier moved the second reading of the Licensing Act, 1873, Amendment Bill, and explained its provisions. He stated that the chief object of the Bill was to avoid any interference with Provincial Governments, by allowing certain Provincial Ordinances to remain in force. Another important object was allowing more than one bar in any house. It aso provided against the subjection of publicans, when applying for a renewal of Ijcense, to the necessity of getting certificate of householders. Increased facility for transferring license was proposed, the ouly requisite being ihe delivery of a duplicate notice in writing to the clerk of the Licensing Court There was, however, ample provision for the objection to transfers being made; On the whole, he thought the Act would not be unduly favorable on one side or the other.—Mr Pox would not oppesa the second reading, but would use his utmost endea ©r to defeat the main principle of the Bill which was the very opposite of the Bill of last session, of which the fundamental principle was placing the whole control of the liquor traffic m the hj mds ot the people, i his right had been granted to the people, but anomalous as it might seem, the machinery absolutely neces ary.for enforcing the principles was denied them. Had they that machinery it would more or less speedily have done away with the sin of drunkenness, ac least in country districts. In all other matteis people were entrusted with the very largest powers, hut, in liquor traffic, it was denied, although last session distinctly affirmed that people possessed that right. As for the argument against prohibitory laws that they would have the enect of printing good and

suitable houses of public accommodation being opened, he would remind the House that in the States of Maine, New Lampshire, and Massachussets, where prohibitory laws were strictly carried out, there were houses that were the very duplicate of pub-lie-houses in other parts of the Union, except that they sold no liquor at bars. The result was (and it was borne out by indisputable evidence) that drunkenness was reduced nine-tenths in c- nsequence. So far from the hill taking a middle course, he considered it a perfect paradise for publicans. in committee be would object to many details. One of the first points he would object to was the clause to validate previous Ordinances, and amongst them the Otago Act, which was passed m direct violation of the Act of 1873. Another objectionable feature was allowing refreshment licenses at railway stations.' Let them not fall behind other countries in this matter where, like the Caledonianaud North British noways, they excluded liquor licenses, for it had been satisfactorily ascertained that to the liquor obtained at those place by the railway servants a great proportion of railway accidents were duo. Asa result, at the Port Chalmers JR ail way station, as he read » day or two ago, drunken sailors had been

drawing their knives upon each other. Amongst the amendments be intended to propose were some to allow females of twenty-one years of age to vote,'as in one place, where permissive clauses were in opera* tion, eighty women refused to vote because they had to specify their ago; endeavor to prevent billiard - rooms and skittle-alleys being in con junction with public-houses ; abolish barmaids, or not allow any under the age of thirty. It he could not introduce that, he was certain it could carry the House with him in this : he would endeavor

to prevent their being employed for forty* eight hours at a stretch, as they sometimes were now. To do this he would avail himself of the excellent Act introduced by Mr Bradshaw. Une of the chief causes of the failure of last year’s Bill was that districts were made too large, and he trusted the Government would, in this case, place the regulation of boundaries of districts in the bauds of the inhabitants. Sir Cracroft Vt ilson thought the real cause of failure in last year’s Bill was because of tbo difficulty in getting two thirds of the inhabitants to vote to close public-housi s. He kaew this was the cause in Canterbury.—Mr J. C. Brown said that, in consequence of the great amount of drunkenness on the railway line

in Canterbury, they were compelled to shut the bars at the stations. One of the driven was so druuk one day that he could not pronouuce the name of the station the train was approaching. He entirely objected to the Minister of Public Works having power to grant licenses at railway-stations. He would rather place the power in the hands of the Provincial authorities. He objected to country magistrates having licensing powers. They were the wrong class of men. He hoped provision would be made against employing barmaids for unreasonable hours.—Mr J, Shephard considered the Bill contained exceedingly useful provisions, hot he objected to the clause regarding granting bottle licenses as one of the most dangerous char* acter. He would move for striking it out. On the whole, he thought the Government did good s rvice in bringing down the Bill —Mr cuthbertson would opposj the ISth clause, which had the effect of negativing local regulations regarding the renewal of licenses in the Bill of last year. In other respects, the Government ware entitled to the thanks of the House in bringing down the Bill. -Mr Vogel, in reply, said it was a widely different thing to extend the franchise in voting for represen* tatives, from giving the people special power to vote upon specific questions. The effects of each were directly opposite. He had no objection to amend clause Is, the only object being to prevent publicans, against whom no complaint had been made, being subjected to vexatious inquiries. He was afraid the idea of the hoa. member for Kangitikei regarding refreshment-rooms at railway stations par* 1 i_ . r a .-. . L

took somewhat of tyranny. Stimulants were sometimes an absolute necessity to some people, and he could not see why they should be denied them. What has been the effect of dosing refreshment-rooms at railway stations'' because employes sometimes partook too freely ? Why, they brought bottles with them, and made the evil worse. He would concede the objection to compelling fetudes to specify their age. lie was prepared to go to great lengths in punishing and repressing the evil of drunkenness, such as iucarccra* tion of incorrigible drunkards and depriving them of control of their property. No doubt that the Bill was not the most effectual that could be devised, but the Government only meant it to amend the Bill last year, and cure its defects. At preseut ho was not prepared to do more. —i'he Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed that day week. The House went into committee on the Municipal Reserves Bill, which was reported with amendments.