The Supreme Court.

Manawatu Herald, 1 June 1893, Page 3

The Supreme Court.

v ...-' . r— ♦ — . ' On Monday morning the Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court was . f openfed and in his charge to the Gran 4 Jury, Judge Richmond made the fallowing; remarks i-^Certainly the manners and. oustoms of this city in the small hours of the morning oi^^^hiE^leU^Uogether ; Kttisfdc--.^yi^ l^p^niit'-'jjj'tend- jio blame ariybldj^oeeaiißfe^that would 'be quite utfftuiy but i.-.therp-is no doubt a laxity in the admimiHtva.tion oi the t existing licensing law, which is very much to be deplored. If the evidence is true in one or two of these oases it would seem that liquor is obtainable from _ oertdin licensed honses between 12 ' nnd 1 b'oloek in the morning. Although.my attention is often called to these things in the course of the evid^ce in a cftse, I have not been in the habit of inflicting censure upon parties who are not before the Court. A judge can say nothing in these cases. However much he may be . concerned it is not proper obviously that anything should be said in the way of imputing to a licensed publican 'that -which constitutes an offence, and which would most justly subject him to the refusal of his license. It is only upon the evidence that he can do so. When such circumstances are proved in Court, as they frequently are, it is ' certainly then the duty of the police to enquire into, the matter, and take care that a proper representation of the facts should come before the Licensing K Committee. As I have lately remarked, a great deal more in my qpjnjon could be done in the way of enforcing the law as it actually exists. You are aware that to wilfully allow drunkenness on the premises is, under the existing licensing law, moral cause for refusing a renewal of the license. Yet it has certainly been proved over and over again in this Court that men are * allowed to have liquor after tne closing hours for the house, and to bo soaking there all night. That. :I have heard proved over and over - again, and when matters of that kind are proved, I say notice ought to be t taken of them . In fact, where I a member of a comraitte? and matters jpf'that kind were proved not to be of mere casual occurrence iv any house but habitual, that man's license would-be gone." Never, never should he have'V; chance of breaking the h>wnin, that way again. Now, I name no, names., You will hear for yourselves what the evidence is in jome oases; and, of - course, the parties incriminated will not be , bffdre you or me. Therefore, they awnnrt^roper "casffes for naming names, and it may be untrue. In : some of these cases it appears to be so. -Therefore; I make no particular bhargeg; 1 '- ,■'-■'■■■' ' ' •