THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1874

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1827, 13 June 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY SA TURD AY, JUNE 13, 1874

The agitation with respect to the working of the present Licensing Act, known as " Fox's," is spreading all over the Colony, and loud demands are' being made, which will be presented to the next meeting of the General- A saembly, for its amendment Recent experience 1 of its working has shown that such amendment is required, and also that its operation was never intended, even by its originator, to assimi- ; late with the Gold-field townships of the "~WesTUo^sTaTia~tirerßettnrti-i loT1 oTT TO r.»«J><medin, ChristchurcH, Auckland, &g. And yat the causes of dissatisfaction seem to be very generally felt in their broadest sense all through the Colony, and there is a feeling abroad that opposition must be shown to them, in order to the re-con-st ruction of the Licensing Bill on a more equitable and just footing next session. Those who have watched its, operation, especially in small towns on these goldfields, will not be surprised to find that in the Provincial Council on Thursday: night, the Provincial Secretary, Mr White, brought up a report of a Select.Ooromittce appointed to consider what amendments were necessary .to the Licensing Act. It read as follows : — lam directed' by the Committee to report : as follows on the amendments required in •• The Licensing Act, 1873"!-- ; ; 1. That it is necessary that the Licensing Courts should hold quarterly sittings. 2 That the^- power ot transfer from one house to another should, be given to the .Licensing Court. • ' [ ' " : 3 That the persons constituting the L censing Court should be appointed by bin Excellency the Governor of the Colony on the recommendation of the Superintendent of the Province: ' '■■'■'■'■'■''■''■[ •■ ' The Committpe beg to suggest that these recommendations should he adopted as resolutions by the Provincial Council, with a view to their being embodied in any Amendment Act of "The Licensing Act, 1873," which ' may be introduced during the next session of i the \'ew Zealand Parliament. , ; With respect to the petitions on behalf of I [srael Pollock and Katharine O'Leary, to whom have been refused by the Court, which petitions w»»re referred to this j C'mmitcee, I am directed to state that this j Committee has no power to affo d any relief jto the persons in whose behalf the petitions were presented. ' : Thia report was received, but no steps w.re taken upon it. AVhat »vh are pointing put is that similar proceedings are being taken throughout ; all the Provinces, notwithstanding all the outcry to the: contrary, and .that there cannot be thej slightest doubt that during the approaching session of Parliament Mr Fox's most unjust enactment will be amended in many of its at present most oojt-ctionable features. As a sample of the feeling, which is abroad, we give the following notice of morion which has boon tabled by an influential member in the Otago Provincial-Council :— ■'; That, in the opinion of this Council, the licensing laws at present in force in this Province should be amemted in the following particulars :— (1 ) That provision should be jina-le fur the transfer of publicans' 1 censes between the times. of the sittings of the (Licensiug Court. (2 ) That provision shou d ibe made for opening public houses on Sun lay, jbetween the hours of .1 and 3 o'clock in the pfternoon, and 8 and 10 in the evening ; but t at the bar doors be kept closed (3.) That. a license having been once granted, personal application for the reoewal of such license should not be necessary or required, unless notice of objection to the renewal thereof has been served on the Clerk of the Court, and also on the licensee a reasonable time before phe siting of the Licensing Court ; and if no jobjection to the renewal of a license be so served, the license should be renewed as a matter of course. And (4) that the system of bottle licenses be discontinued, and that the minimum quantity of liquor, of any description, which may be sold under a wholeI sale license, be reduced to one gallon.