LICENSING COURT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 378, 9 June 1876, Page 3

LICENSING COURT.

June 6. (Before' 11. W. Robinson, Esq., Clitirman, h W. Uii3ch and G. A. Chapman Commissioners.) The Chairman, before commencing tho business, rend a memorial received signed by 58 males nnd females : To the Licensing Court of tho Licensing District of Naseby ; Wo, the undersigned, i.dult milo nnd fe male residents in the Licensing District of Nnseby, beg respectfully to urge upon the Li<:eiisVi£ Court tho necassity that exists for restricting the indiscriminate granting of renewals of publicans licensee in this district, and would respectfully solicit that the repons of tlin polico on each application for renewal (provided for by the Act of 1873) bo carefully considered before granting the same. Your petitioners desire to object most emphatically to the (rrinting of any new licences whatsoever, seeing that the district is at present overstocked will public houses, much more than is ndequate to the populntion. In ttusoby nlone there ore no less than twelve licensed houses at the present time, supported by an extroii.ely limited adult male oopulation of only about. 150. ' Your petitioners respectfully request that tho Licensing Court may take into consideration their prayer, and that it will exercise Hie greatest c.uit.ion in granting renewals, and •- ill uniformly refuse applications for nny new liivnses whatsoever, unless in the mjst exceptional circumstances.

And your petitioner#, &c. In reference to this tho Chairman said: It was simply necessary to remark that there are no new applications to be considered, und that portion of the memorial therefore does not require consideration. With regard to tho reports of the police, nnd the attention asked forthem.itwouldbe simply necessary to remark that that will receive the consideration which it merits as the request of a number of persona. He might say it was customary for the police to make a detailed report of all houses under license, and it was the duty of the Commissioners to consider it.

Nasehy Applications—General and General Nig/it Licenses. IiOYAL HOTEL. E. Horswell. No objection. Police report favorable. Granted. VICTORIA HOTEL. E. T. George. No objection. Police report favorable. Granted. ancient htuton hotel. George Collett. No objection. Police report favorable. Granted. COMMERCIAL HOTEL. Adam Orr Gilmore. Sergeant Smith, in tlio absence of the usual report, accidentally omitted, which lie promised to furnish, mentioned this house as the best in Naseby. No objection. Granted. EMPIRE HOTEL. Thomas Pinder. No objection. Police report favorable. Grantea. In the hearing of this application the Bench instructed tho Sergeant to see to it that all those who received licenses erected proper urinals in connection with their hotels. In each ease where tho provision did not exist the aoplicant undertook to seo to it. KYEBUETT HOTEL. G-. A. Chapman. No objection. Police report favorable. Granted. OLD VICTOIUAN HOTEL. W. J. Millar. This application had been verbally withdrawn. The Sergeant intin.ated that he had notified Mr. Millar that he intended to object, as the house was not needed, and that Mr. Millar had said he intended to apply at the next sitting of the Court. Twelve public houses, in a population of 500, 100 of whom were for the present Good Templars, was ridiculous. The hotels were nearly all of a bad description, being little better than diggings shanties. The travelling public were entitled to ex!)cct accommodation. If about the onelalf of the houses were done away with the remaining half could perhaps auord to put up decent houses. Ho would therefore ask the Bench to deal with t his application, Jpi order that Millar 111 iglit not allege ilWUsage at tho next sitting of the Court. no withdrawal. fK ' \ The Clerk® There has been.no written notice of but Mr.'.'Millar intimated to me that he intended to withdraw, nnd Mr. Baik»y, his agent, promised to eend in a written* document, but ho bad not done so. Sergeant Smith: I ask the Committee to deal willi the application, or to adjourn it for fourteen days. I uo not wish to take advantage of Mr. Millar's absence. The Chairman : T am not aware of any special notice being required. It would have been, I think, a simple matter to have nslced the applicant to mark tho application as withdrawn. J, Sergeant Smith : I wish to prevent Mr. going to expense in furniture, or otherwise, aud then alleging ill usage at a subsequent sitting of the Court. I wish the Commissioners to say, on this application, whether or not thero are not enough licensed houses in Naseby. It should be understood thafe the holder of a license should not be sble to sell his interest, and coHnt upon getting a trnusfer to anyone, and in that way that the surplus houses may gradually be starved out. I hope the Commissioners will support the police in objecting to any new license being granted, unless for a really substantial and first class hotel. Naseby is now an old established town, and the hotels are as bad a:> they were (on or twelve years ago. If (be Government giro a monopoly for the sale of drink accommodation, for the travelling public should be furnished. The rooms in many of the houses are only six or seven feet in height, are badly ventilated, and leak. In these rooms two bods are put. Is it fit for two men to be placed in such rooms P The Commissioners can better imagine than I can describe ■ tho state of atmosphere under the circumstances. The Chairman: "With regard to tho withdrawal, tho Bench is of opinion that tho verbal notification is sufficient, in the absence of a specific provision to the contrary. With regard to the remarks made as to the objection to tho application, tve feci justified in stating we generally agree with Mr. Smith. Looking at the present Ktate of Naseby, wo think that the existing licensed houses are sufficient, and that the requirements of the public are by no tneans so well attended to as they should be. The Bench cannot, however, undertake to bind the Bench of the future. The present Bench would not itsell feel bound by a decision under the state of things at jueseut existiwg. In another twelve months the circumstances might be such (■lull, the present accommodation may not be sufficient, lie hoped they wouid be.

The Bench, while not going the whole length of saying that no houses are necessary, is quite willing to fall in with Sergeant Smith's present view as to the number and the quality of houses that exist.

CRITERION HOTEL. Thoma9 Ladd. No objection. Report favorable. Granted. The Chairman remarked that the previous remarks applied to all houses alika, and were not to be taken as invidiously directed. • MELBOURNE HOTEL. John No objection. The Chairman : I observe the polico report states that this honse is not so clean as it should be. The police did not, however, object. Applicant: I should like to ask the sergeant, your Worship— Sergeant Smith : The paper was down, the bedding was rough, and the ceilings were torn and leaky. Applicant: Were the sheets dirty ? Sergeant Smith : I did not look at the sheets. The blankets were red and blue, the wholo being the roughest I have seen for the last nine or ten years in tho Province, and wants doing up. As Mr. Cogan remarked to me—" Hotelkeeping did not pay in Naseby," which was no doubt correct enough. If Mr. Cogan would betake himself to what would pay better, it would be better for himself and Naseby. That is all I can say. The Chairman: The Bench does not feel justified, under the circumstances, in refusing the grant. It should be borne in mind that these remarks might affect renewals hereafter. Application granted; the Bench taking a note of the objection lodged as to defect in cleanliness. Applicant: I can only say that the house is clean. Chairman: What I understand is that the premises want a general doing up. CKOAVN AND SCEPTRE HOTEL. John Bull. No objection. Police re* port favorable. Tho Chairman : It is pleasant to notice that a special remark is made herer—- " Yery clean indeed." Sergeant Smith: In this house, your Worship, there is accommodation for married people. With' the exception of Horswell's and George's in all tho other hotels the billiard room took up half the house. This house is well kept. Granted. BALLAHAT HOTEL. David Stewart. No objection. Polico report favorable. Granted. Kyeburn Diggings.—General Licenses. PASS HOTEL. David Messent. No objection. The Chairman: The police report states Mr. Messent is altering his house, and may, with very little trouble and cost, much improve it. The report as to the management is favorable. Sergeant Smith: I may say Mr. Messent is carrying on business under the same roof with the hotel, which is a barrier to the grant of a license. As the house has been licensed before I came to the district I have not objected ; but I wish to give notice that next year I shall object if there is any business at all carried on under the same roofMr. Hertslet, who appeared for the applicant, said that this was a case in which an indulgence should be granted. The Chairman : Mr. Messent is showing a good determination \o improve the house. The Bench had previously held, whether rightly or wrongly, that under sub-section 5, section 28, Act, 1874, the provision against mixed houses did not apply to renewals for old houses, but to applications for new houses. Granted. POST OFFICE HOTEL. Benjamin Gordon, No objection. Police report favorable. Sergeant Smith : In this case I called at the hotel, but could not see Mr. • Gordon, but only the Sinclairs, who apparently kept the house. So far as I could learn, during my short stay in the district, the Sinclairs could not get the license themselves, and employed Mr. B. Gordon for the use of his name. Mr. Gordon was not at home when I called. Applicant: Indeed your Worship, I have not been ever away from the house sinco the license was granted. The Chairman : Mr. Gordon will understand he is responsible for tho house under the Licensing Acts. Applicant: I wish the Sinclairs had the license, and I was quit of it. Sergeant Smith : Mr. Gordon wishes the Bench to refuse the application. Applicant: No; but it has been a constan trouble tome.

Sergeant Smith: We will try, your Worship, to oblige Mr. Gordon next time. Application granted, the submitted police report being so favorable. FLAGSTAFF HOTEL. James Cain. No objection. Police re-, port favorable. Granted.^, JUNCTION 1 lIOTISLt i C. K. Douglas. No objection. Heport. favorable. Granted. KTEBUBN HOTEti. Jesse Mace Maisey. No objection., Ecport favorable. , The Chairman: This house i? exceed-, ingly well kept, and gives great satisfac tion, generally I may say, to the public. Granted. Hamilton. —General Licence. UNION HOTEL. E. Barber. No objection. Report favorable. In this case the Sergeant again intima-: ted his intention to object next year if the business was carried on under the same roof as the hotel. This case he considered worse than Messent's as the godds ! sold were actually passed over the baT. The Chairman said he knew the house perfectly, and was well aware that at Hamilton the business wjw so slight that it would not pay to separate the businesses. Still, he considered a division could be made which should satisfy the objection. There should be access to the Btore without the necessity of going to or through the bar. Perhaps Mr. George, who appeared for the applicant, would intimate what had been said. Mr. Georgo undertook that the necessary division should bo made to the satis-; faction of the Bench. Tlio Sergeant agreed that the objection would not be so strong. He objected to all these mixed houses as a rule, as being contra ry to I he Act, and being mere traps to effteii a shilling over the purchase; 'of pair of boots. . V- , * u The Ghairmah further" rertiairkcd that the Bench did not consider i'solf competent to lay down a rulu of its own. Each application had to be dealt witti as it caiae

up. At the same time it was quite agreed that in old houses persons should be able to get,in to the store without having to pass through the bar. . Granted. Hy de. —General Licenses, HYDE HOTEL.

Wm. H. Reade. No objection. Report: favorable- Granted. '

. COMMERCIAL HOTEL. John Laverty. No" ojection. Report favorable. Granted.