Provincial Council.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 35, 22 March 1856, Page 5

Provincial Council.

Wednesday, March 19. Tins day the House was occupied nine hours in committee on the Public House Bill. Several amendments were proposed to many of the clauses. Clause 2 was amended as follows :— "If any person, not being duly licensed, shall upon any one occasion sell any quantity less than two gallons of any one kind of spirituous liquors, wine, ale, or beer, or knowingly permit the same to be sold in or upon his house or premises, or to be removed at any one lime from his premises, for the purpose of sale, he shall forfeit and pay for every such offence the sum of £50." [Italic type distinguishes the alterations from the Draft' Bill in the above and subsequent clauses.] The first portion of clause 4, finally was altered thus ;— "All liquors so forfeited shall be sod or ..destroyed, in such manner as the court before *nwhom the conviction takes pace shall direct." Clause 10 was subjected to seveial amendments, which resulted in the following amended clause, which was then passed. " On \he first Tuesday in May, in every year, there shall be holden at the police office at Lyttelton, a general meeting', and on the following Tuesday, at the Court house at Chrislchurch, an adjourned meeting of the Justices of the Province, to be called the annual licensing' meetings, &c.'' And at the end of the clause was added ; " Provided always, that any such meeting as aforesaid, may he continued by adjournment, to. such day and such place as the Justices present shall determine." Clause 13 was passed with the addition after last word : "Provided always that if it should appear expedient to such justices or to a majority to refuse any application-for the renewal of a license, the" Chairman of such meeting shall thereupon cause a notice to ttiis effect to be served on the applicant, and the hearing of such application shall thereupon be adjourned to the nest meeting of Justices/ In claifse" 14, the blanks were filled up as follows: For a General Licence, £30 ; fora wine and beer license, £10 ; for a conditional licence, a sum not exceeding £10; and fora wholesale licence, to sell not less than two gallons, £10. Clause 20 was fully discussed in all its paragraphs, and was the object of several divisions. Mr. Ollivier's motion for keeping house open until 11 instead of 10 o'clock was carried on a division by 8 to 6. Mr. Ollivier's motion for opening on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., was rejected by 10 to 4. The penalty paragraph was altered without a division. Mr. Ollivier's motion to substitute 3 for 7 miles was carried by 9 to t>. Mr. Thompson's motion for substituting the word 5 for 7 miles was also carried. The clause as amended reads thus:—" It shall not be lawful for any person holding a license under this ordinance to. sell or supply any liquors, or to suffer the same to be drunk in or upon his house or premises, upon jany Sunday'or Christmas day, o-r Good Friday, or upon any other day between the hours of eleven at night or six i*u the morning, and on such days and within such hours his house and premises bhall be closed ; and any person offending against the provisions of this clause shall be liable to a penalty of not more than £20." " Provided always, &c and shall hare no residence within five miles of such house." "Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be interpreted to authorise the opening of any outer or street door leading to any t)ar or tap on the days and within the hours mentioned, or supplying any liquor therein." On the motion of Mr. Thompson, the Chairman reported progress, and the Speaker resumed the chair.