LICENSING COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3990, 8 December 1875, Page 2

LICENSING COURT.

Tuesday, December?, Thomas Hancock, Queen’s Arms, Princes street.—Applicant was charged with allowing prostitutes to assemble in his licensed house. Mr Lewis, who appeared for him, admitted that applicant had been convicted of the offence, but mentioned that, although he had held a license for fourteen yeais, this was the only complaint made against him.—The Chairman remarked that it was with great difficulty that this house had been licensed at all. It was formerly proved that several very bad cases of'assault oo urred in or about this neighborhood. With regard to prostitutes, while a publican could say he did know a man who frequented his house was not respectable, such a remark would not apply to women, as no decent, respectable female would go alone into a public bar. (Hancock: “They were not alone.”) It would be considered a primd facie case against any publican if it were shown that he allowed prostitutes or any women without protectors to assemble in his house. It had been laid down in another Court—of which he wished to speak with the greatest respect—that a licensee was bound to sell to whoever came. This Court was of a totally different opinion, and held that licensees should not sell to bad characters or to children of tender years. The policy of the law was clearly to repress selling to prostitutes. If a charge of this kind was proved against any licensee the Court would, on the first opportunity, and without the slightest scruple, forfeit such license.