The Awahuri Hotel.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 9, 9 December 1884, Page 2

The Awahuri Hotel.

The quarterly meeting of the Oroua Licensing Committee was held at Sanson, on Saturday. The whole of the Licensing Committee were present, viz., Messrs J. Bowater (chairman), Anderson, Tomlinson, Bnrcham, and Cockburn. The clerk said the business before the court was the consideration of a report by the police, with reference to the conduct of the Endymion Hotel, Awahuri. The police report stated :— " The house is conducted m an improper manner Drunkenness is permitted. Numerous complaints have been made by the nei°h. hours as to the improper manner°in which the house is conducted, one of which is that the licensee purchased about 181bs of beef and gave liquor m ex. change." Mr Prior, who appeared on behaltof Mr Samuels, stated that a petition had signed m support of the continuance of the license and against the report of the police. The police, who were conducting the inquiry had asKed him, m order to facilitate the business, to present the pc« tition at once, which he had much pleasure m doing. The petition set forth that it was the opinion of the petitioners that Mr Samuels was a fit and proper person to hold a license, and that the hotel at Awahuri had been conducted m a satisfactory manner. It bore the signatures of 43 persons, mostly resident m the district. Constable Gillespie, who conducted the inquiry m support of the police report, said the petition was signed by a number of persons who did not reside m the dis. trict at all, and who had no idea whatever how the business of the hotel was carried on. He was prepared to prove that drunkenness had been permitted to tako place m the house, that the house had been nothing but a gambling saloon for the paiit twelve months, and that several other irregularities had taken place. After a mass of evidence had been taken the committee retired, and were absent nearly an hour. On returning to the room, the Chaiman said the opinion of the committee was that conclusive evidence had been adduced to prove that grave irregularities had occurred on the licensed premises 01 the Endymion Hotel, but m view of the evidence m the licen. ccc's favour rendered by independent witnesses, together with an mfluentiallysigned petition, the application to deprive the licencee of his licence would be refused. The committee wished to express their approval of the zeal displayed by Constable Gillespie m the conduct of the case. Constable Gillespie asked that an or* der to pay costs be iuade on Mr Samuels. The 64th section of the Act empowered the committee to award costs to the party who succeeded. He maintained that the decision of the committee was that the police had succeeded m proving the charges — not one of which had been rebutted — and the costs should therefore be paid by Mr Samuels. Mr Prior said, the verdict, to use a phrase m the law court, was TOtually for the defendant, and he did not think he should be saddled with costs. The Chairman remarked that the com. mittee hilly justified the conduct of the police, and were agreed that the charges had been proved, but m consideration ot the petition, and the evidence of the witnesses m his favour, they did not wish to take the licence away. The costs would have to be. paid by Mr Samuels. Order made accordingly. The costs were — £2, 10s court fees, and ten witnesses at 10s each. *3The hearing of the case occupied near, ly nine hours, and the schoolroom was densely packed while the evidence wai proceeding.