The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 48, 27 March 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1878.

The case heard at the Licensing Court on Thursday against the proprietor of the Olarehdon Hotel, is one which, we feel, calls for remarks On. our part. In the quarterly report furnished by the police it was urged against the respectability of the house— i that persons of ba,d repute were allowed to frequent it, that gambling r was permitted, Sunday trading capied on, and that several robberies tiSd taken jria^je^jjn^t&S' premises. Althojugfel^ latter item migh.t^bp'pgSr^o^iontain the greatest charge, such is in reality not the fact ; for while it is perfectly within the power of any landlord to put down or avoid the first three, a robbery is a thing against which no house* no matteivhaw well conducted, is safe. If, then— unless the attendant circumstances are such as to inculpate the proprietor, or by the lax manner in which a house is conducted, aids are given for the perpetration of sueli offences— such occurrences, unfortunate as they may be, do take places they cannot be charged to the house, or its pror prietpr held morally responsible. \Ye were therefore much surprised at' the action of the Constable in charge in resting his case upon oc-currences-over which Mir dweiihad no control, and in , ignoring those of far more gravity, and for which he, and he alone, was responsible. It was. an injustice against which he has good cause to complain, aud leaves the uncomfortable impression on the public mind that they had no foundation in fact, and were merely attached to the report to give.it a more orthodox appearance.. The charge of Sunday trading was withdrawn, the gambling questionnot gone into, and no effort, beyond the bare linsworh assertion of tlie writer of the report, was made to substantiate the charge of harboring persons of bad repute. To our mind, the evidence that robberies had taken place in the hotel was anything but conclusive; butj however, as the Bench arrived at the conclusion that they had, we are not inclined to dispute the judgment. We agree with the Commissioners that the Police were quite right in placing the matter before the Court, notwithstanding it places a publican in an unenviable position' through no fault of his own; but we Certainly do not think that matters should be contained in a report in support of which; uo/ testimony is produced. 3STo \vitness was brought forward to p rove that gambling was carried on in the house, beyond the ordinary pool game played upon all billiard tables, and for which a license is paid ; and to the gravest charge of all— that of harboring bad characters— no evidence whatever was taken. It is of such a grave nature, aud so detrimental to the character and respectability of the House, that it should not have been inade without due grounds, butOnce in the report, it was the duty of the police to make good the ■charge: We ask, then, why did the ■■'District Constable swell out his rgn'&f t ■ with charges which he was

not in a position to substantiate, and cast a stigma upon a house which was as mean, as it appeared to be unjust and Unreliable ? Sworn witnesses deposed to the respecfcablitj of the Clarendon as a hotel, and in assuming to himself the right or pleasure of branding a house iu his report as disreputable, and ignoring all proof of his assertion, we consider Constable G-illespie, has arrogated •to himself discretionary powers* which would not endorsed by the Commissioner of Police, or publiq justice for a moment "tolerate. By the. action he has takeu he may seek to claim credit for forbearance which, he. .does .not possess, and so far, from the proprietor of the hotel having anything to be grateful for, by the publication of a grave and uufoiindedcharge, hehasbeenguiltyofa grieroug wrong, and committed himself" to a line of conduct which should call for the intervention of his . superiors. We are fully prepared to allow all latitude to the police in the performance of their duties, , but must certainly condemnany such course as introducing charges into theiß reports which have to, be withdrawn, or cannot be supported byeyidfehce. It is grossly urifair to the holder of a license, is calculated; to shake confidence in the hona, fides of reports, and leaves an impression that in such cases they are given- as evidences of supposed but fictitious zeal. .