THE LICENSING ACT.

Evening Star, Issue 4154, 20 June 1876, Page 4

THE LICENSING ACT.

To the Editor.

Sir,-—One of the strangest pieces of patch- ! work legislation that has ever emanated from a legislative body is, I think, the above. What principle of law or reason it is founded on would be hard to discover. One ot the greatest principles in the British Constitution is that of the liberty of the subject. Do what you like; go where you like; eat, drink, sleep, and do business as and where you like, providing you do not legally injure other people. This is true of every class except publicans. They may not commence business where they like, when they like, or how they like. Why not ? Is it because public-houses are an injury to the people ? If so, then why allow any at all ? Or if there are fonr pubfic-houses in a street, and a fifth one wants to open, and is not allowed, is it because four will do the people good and five will hurt them ? On what principle of common sense are such restrictions carried out ? If the Bench hunted down the bad publican who really injure their fellow-creatures, I could understand it—those who sell doctored brandy, rile whisky, and other vicious compounds.' " A man may feel elevated or childishly stupid after too much unadulterated drink; but two or three glasses of the poisonous filth Bold in some houses here cause men to stagger out the prey of their evil passions, andready at a trifling provocation to commit any crime.

If public-houses are to be allowed at all, throw open the trade—let any respectable person open a house anywhere, as no man would open a house unless be was thoroughly satisfied'the public required it and would support it. A man willing to invest his few hundreds or thousands in such an undertaking -should be-a' better judge of uch a want than the police authorities, ble and painstaking as they no doubt re; but as the adage says, "Every one nows his own business best." Throw open he trade and the supply will never very long exceed the demand; it is bound to find its level. I approve of a heavy annual license to insure respectability, and a system of fines also, such as LlOforthe first offence, LSO for the second, and cancelment of the license for the third, should a publican sell adulterated drink, serve an intoxicated man, o,r permit gambling for money on his premises. In a word, the authorities should no more interfere with an honest publican or would-be publican than with any other tradesman, but merely punish the dishonest one.

Being nearly an abstainer myself, I write from no self-interest, but merely to point out and if possible correct what I think is an anomaly, an injustice amongst a justiceloving people to a class from which many most really useful and able public men have sprung both at Home and abroad.—l am, &c-» J. M. Wakari, June 17.