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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 165, 4 July 1876, Page 4

A retired hotelkaeper (says the Auckland Star), was quietly holding forth yesterday in High-street on the miseries of a publican's life and tbe petty police tyrannies to which they are subjected. " Only pay £50 ior your licence," said he, " and you immediately forfeit your liberty, and become a sort of ticket-of-leave man, under the surveillance of a stuck-up policeman. If the power that commands the winds and waves should cause the wind to blow out the light in the decorated lamp that hangs over your entrance door, where no stranger is allowed to enter, you are mulefed of lOs aud costs, although you have employed all the gasfitters in town to prevent the sly, wicked wind from putting out your light, which is only required as a companion to the moon ; for of what use ia a light to a sleeping city ? If aa inquest should be held in your house, although you don't sella nobbier among the jurors, you get nothing in the shape of rent for your room, and have to pay 5s for cleaning after policemen, reporters, and jur __8. Tou are also open to a breach of the Licensing Act if you give a drop of brandy to a poor wanderer wiih tbe stomach ache on the Sabbath. Fortunately, however, the oppressed publican, in the Licensing Act, finds 'pleasant loopholes of retreat' as some fellow of the name of Cowper wrote, who might have been a publican for aught I know ; and if you fee your lav/yer and are shrewd, you steal through the law or round about it, ahd make your escape. Why are not bakers aod others amenable to tbe law for their adulterations ?" A small voice : Because they don't kill people ! Hotelkeeper : •' Go along you young rascal, or I'll kick jou." The boy ran away. A tin-kettling caee has excited some little interest in Canterbury. Sixteen lads were summoned for the offence, and after hearing evidence at some length, his Worship said tbe Bench were of opinion that the offence with which the defendants were charged had been proved against them, but tbe obscene or abusive iangnage stated lo have been used had not been proved. Some of the defendants had cautioned the others not to use bad language, but apart from the use of bad language, the defendants had no right to create a disturbance or annoy any person. Bowick and M'Cutchin appeared from the evidence to have been the originators of the tin-kettle band, and they would he each fined 40-t and costs, or in default, three days' imprisonment. The whole of the other defendants would be fined 20s each aod costs, or fortyeight hours' imprisonment. His Worship said that the sooner the practice

of tin-kettling was pat a stop to tha better, and offences of this kind would io future ba visited by severe penalties. Mr Thomas informed the Bench that fourteen of his olients, who had just been convicted for creating a disturbance at the, Oust, had, after soma consideration, decided to go to prison in a body rather than pay the penalty, Hia Worship then directed the police to take them into custody and lock them up for the time stated in the judgment. As the lock-up at Oxford was not large enough to accommodate half of them, they were sent down to Addiogton gaol by the evening train.