LICENSING BENCH.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1125, 6 March 1872, Page 2

LICENSING BENCH.

The quarterly sitting of Justices of the Peace for the purpose of granting licenses took place yesterday at the Court House. There were on the bench Messrs Bevell, Reid, and King. The following applications were well reported upon by the police, and were granted, as from the dates mentioned :— Elias Coutanche, Bank Hotel, from the Bth inst. ; Jatnes Middleton, Wharf Hotel, from the 2nd May ; Thos. Bailey, Full and Plenty Hotel ; Patrick Hanney, Hanney's Hotel, from the Ist May; Samuel G-. Rich, Argus Hotel, from the 9th March ; John Balstrode, Oddfellows' Hotel ; James Jones, Jones's Hotel, from the 18th April ; Dennis Carroll, Trafalgar Hotel, from the 11th April ; J. C. Moore, Queen's Hotel, from the 9th April ; Joseph Booth, Empire Hotel, from the 6th March ; 0. H. Boase, Railway Hotel, from the Bth March ; E. J. Bylund, Scandinavian Hotel, formerly the Shamrock, from the Bth March ; Edwin Ancher, Commercial Hotel, from the 15th March. The application of William King for a renewal of license for the Lake Wakatip Hotel was struck out, as he did not appear, and it was stated that he did not intend again to apply for a license for that house. Hugh Doherty, Sydney Hotel. — This house was originally in the name of one Chesterman, but the' transfer. had been made by the County Chairman; and the receipt for the amount produced. The license was ordered to issue in the name of the applicant. . Caroline Kerr, National- Hotel. -^- After a consultation on this application, Mr Re veil said the police had reported unfavorably as to the character of the house, and that a renewal was not advisable. The Bench considered that before they refused to grant the application, they ■would give the applicant an • opportunity to answer the charges brought, by adjourning the- case for 14 days. The applicant said she was in treaty with Mr Anseline to. take the house. The case was adjourned in order to allow an application to be made for a transfer. Annie Crawford applied for a license for the London Music Hall. Mr Perkins stated that the house was the sole means by which the applicant could support her large family while her husband was in gaol. The Bench refused the application. Mr Perkina then applied for an adjournment, so that another name might be inserted in the license, and in order that the applicant might receive the" rents for the support of her family. Mr Revell said the Bench had no power to grant the • applications, as this was not a renewal, but an application for a new license. William Alexander applied for a license for his restaurant in Gresson street. Mr Perkins appeared in support of the application, and Mr Newton, to oppose it on behalf of Mr T. Bailey, of the Full and Plenty Hotel. The grounds of the opposition were that there already existed in the neighborhood a sufficient number of licensed houses to meet all its requirements; that the adjoining house was licensed, and granting this application would seriously injure its business. These circumstances ought to be considered in connection with the fact that the applicant had been discharged from Mr Bailey's service ! for immoral conduct. SubInspector Hicksou was called and said he knew the house referred to ; the one adjoined the other. No more licensed houses were required in this town " for I public convenience;" indeed he thought it would be much better for the town if one-half of the public-houses were done away with. There were several licensed houses iv the immediate vicinity of the one for which the application was now made. He had ''.tic-thing to say against the character of the applicant, and, so far as ho knew, Mr Bailey always conducted his house well. Cross-examined: Had knoAvn the applicant for some time. His restaurant appeared to be well conducted, and was frequented by mechanics, of whom he knew there were twenty regular boarders. Thomas Bailey said he had known the applicant for some two.yearSi

The house he wanted a license for immediately adjoined his. The applicant was formerly in his employ, and was discharged for persisting in visitinga cottage near the hotel, in which a Mrs Hill lived. At the last sitting of the Court, he opposed this application, and since then— on the morning of the ,l3th February, he saw the applicant come out of the same cottage. -Cross-examined: His principal reason for opposing the application was that it would seriously interfere with his business. Mr Perkins then 'addressed the Bench, poiming out that it jnu' clearly not on public grounds that the application was opposed, but simply as a business matter, of opposition between two publieans^and he thought the Bench should not be made the means for enabling one man to carry put a piece of spite against another. Mr Revell said the Bench was of opinion that the sole object of the opposition was the injury it might do to Bailey. There was. nothing to show that the public would have any objection to the license being granted, or that on public grounds it should be refused. 'It appeared from the report of the police that the house was well conducted, and the license would be granted from the Bth inst. -, H. Faulkner applied for a license for the Bridge Hotel, Tainui street, but it was refused, as the Bench could not see that a licensed house was required in that neighborhood. . The' Court was adjourned until Thursday, the 21st instant, at eleven o'clock.