LICENSING COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 131, 3 June 1879, Page 2

LICENSING COURT.

[Before L. Broad, J. W. Baknicoat, W. Wells, and C. Hunter Bbown. Esqs., Commissioners^ All the present holders of licenses were i applicants for renewals, which were granted in every case. A complaint was lodged by the police against Thomas MeDary, of the Exchange Hotel, for allowing gambling in his house The applicant was cautioned. Alfred Leech, of the Coach and Horsea Hotel, rose to answer to hia name, but as 6oon as he got up from his chair it was evident that he had been a very good customer to himself or to some brother publican within the last few hours. The Chairman : You don't appear to be very sober, Mr Leech. Applicant for license : Well, I don't think' lam quite ; that ia, not exactly, but they don't often catch me on this lay, no they don t often (jauntily putting on hia hat. which was immediately removed by an officer of the Court) they don't often catch me on this lay. The Chairman : I don't know whether you are aware that by wilfully insulting the Bench by coming to Court in this way you are subjecting yourself to a fine of jEIO and 14 days imprisonment. Applicant : I know all about it. I'm not a new chum ; been here twenty years and more, and cow you come to apeak of it, 'pon

my word I don't think I'm very wise to come to Court to day, no, not very wise, not very wise: The Chairman : I think you had better leave the Court, . Applicant : AH right, all right. Yes, I think I'd better go. But it's all fight, all right. In reply to a question from the Bench, the Superintendent of Police said that he did not know the applicant, but he did not appear to be a fit person to have a license. The Chairman thought that a man who came to the Court as an applicant for a license in that condition was not likely to conduct a bouse properly. After a few minutes consultation, the Bench decided to refuse the license for the present, but to postpone the further consideration of the application for a fortnight. A complaint was lodged against William Stallard, of the Panama Hotel, for allowing gambling in his house. Sergeant Nash deposed that at one a.m. on the Ist of May he had occasion to go into the applicant's bar, when he found about a dozen men drinking, and some shaking dice with notes and silver on the counter before them. The applicant stated that on the evening in question he had had a children's party in a house on the opposite side of the road, that he had shut up the public house at eleven o'clock, and was only giving drinks to some of the parents of the children before they went home. • : ! The Chairman: What you say is no excuse. You admit that you broke the law by opening your house after hours, and it also appears that you had gambling going on. This is not the first time the Bench has had to consider a charge of gambling against you, and you have already received a serious caution. On your own showing you broke the law, and in the opinion of the Bench you improperly conducted the bouse by permitting gambling, as has been clearly proved. The Bench are not unanimous on the subject, but the majority are in favor of giving you one more chance, and, mind you, this will be the last. If ever such another charge is brought against you, you raostcejtainly will lose your license. The Applicant: I made no charge for the liquors. I was merely giving them to my friends. . The Chairman: The most serious charge against you is that of permitting gambling in the house. Take the caution now given you, and remember the consequences of neglecting it. A license was granted to Henry Skelton for the Bay View Hotel, the late landlord, 1 William Adnams, having recently died.