ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. PUBLICANS' LICENSES.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 627, 17 April 1852, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. PUBLICANS' LICENSES.

To the Editor of the 'New-Zealander. Sir, — It is often so difficult here to get a sight of the Laws which Aye are expected to obey that very possibly some of your readers who may be interested in the subject have not met with the Licensing Amendment Ordinance passed by the Legislative Council in Wellington in August last, SebS. 11, No. 16. To such it may be acceptable to have its purport briefly stated. It consists of a Preamble and two enacting clauses. The first clause I transcribe as it is the most immediately important. lie it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Gover-nor-in-Chief of the Islands of New Zealand, with the advice and consent of tbe Legislative Council thereof, that whenever the Justices assembled at any "Annual Licensing Meeting" shall think it necessary to reduce in number the Licenses which shall have been granted in any dis net in the preceding jear, that they shall effect such reduction by refusing to grant renewals of their Licenses to those persons who shall have conducted their housps and premises in the least orderly manner. From this it is quite clear that the Law contemplates in certain cases, not merely the refusal of new applications, but the reduction of the member previously granted. At the same time it most justly provides that when a reduction does take place, it shall be effected — not by capriciously, vindictively, or heedlessly depriving Avell conducted houses of their Licenses — but by shutting up the least orderly, and thus improving the average or aggregate character of the whole. The second clause is designed to make more stringent the prohibition, of the sale of less than two gallons of Spiritous Liquors, Wine, Ale, or Beer by unlicensed per&ons. It imposes a penalty of fifty pounds for the offence, to be recovered in a summary way. Your obedient servant, A Reader of the Ordinances when he can GET THEM.

To the Editor of the New Zea lander. Sin, — In jour last issue y u have published a list of applications made for New Public-house L cences. I c.innot look at this long list but with the deepest concern, and 1 feel persuaded that every real friend of the Colony must view it with similar feeling. Tljo number of Public-houses in this place is aheady vastly dispioportioned to the population— far beyond the real wants of the inhabitants; and the influence they exert is highly prejudicial to the best interests of the Colony. They very materially affect our general commerce, drawing a large amount of capital into one channel, enriching: a few, but impoverishing many, engiging a large proportion of our resources in what is positively injurious, and which might be employed with advantage in other directions. They tend to lessen our supply of labour, at best but limited, by creating and fosteiing habits of indolence, mining health, and destroying life. They impede the progress of education, presenting temptations to the improvident to spend in dunk what should educate their children. They are among our most fruitful sources of vice and inimoiMlity ; they kad into every kind of temp'ation, making woik for our police, and inmates for our pii»on. Let our prison jecords be examined, and, of the ciimes they note, how large is the proportion that has boen committed either directly or indirectly in connection with the publio house. And how sad are the effects of th?se establishments on health and life ! It is lamentable in the extieme to note the number of dembs that have taken place in this town and its vicinity, either immediately or remotely connected with intemperance, And then, as regards our youth, it is distressing to see so many temptations to dissipation, and iudolence, nnd improvidence placed before them. "\\ hat can we expect of the next generation if we go on increasing the facilities for intemperance? — but that the evil wj|| spread, and the best energies of the country bed,j, stroypd. What then is the duty of every true fiiend of the colony ? Ought not ministers of religion, heads of families, guaidians of jou h, and coribPrvaiois ot public interests, to unite in a general uftbit to am>st the progress of this evil? Let the respectable inhabitants inemoiialize the Bench on the subject at the next Licensing day. And who that ie<illy desires the welfare of the country could refuse to sign such a memorial 1 Why, Sir, if we increase our public-houses at this rate, every stranger calling here, and finding our streets so numeroubly supplied with such establishments, will take it for gi anted we must be a most intemperate community, and respectable men "Will hesitate to bring their families among us. I am quite aware that an idea is abroad that free trade in these things is best, that if every application were granted the evil would cure itself. JS'ow this seems to me most fallacious ; it is not the way in which evils are generally cured — to foster them, to furnish them with the means of continued existence, may give them greater vitality and a wider spread, but is m no sense calculated to remove them. Every additional public house, in fact, increases the means of temptation and contiibutes instrumentalities toward increasing tbe number of consumeis, and I believe were the ques'ion thoroughly sifted it would be found that the more pub-lic-houses are increased, tbe more intemperance will 6pread, and the greater will be the demand for such establishments. The Bench of Justices have a duty to discharge to the country, and ate under most solemn obligations to guard the interests of morality. [ doubt not their worships will conscientiously fulfil theso obligations. 1 have heard it stated that some uf our worthy J.P.s have been solicited to give their votes in favour of ceitain applicants. I trust that none of them have so far lost P'ght of their duty to the public as to pledge themselves in this way to serve private interests. Such a course would be a gross denlection of public duty, and highly reprehensible. On this as on all other questions they ought most certainly to take their seats on the bench unprejudiced, unbiassed, unfettered. I would ftin hope that the public will stir in this matter, and am suie that, if our Justices are properly sustained by a respectably signed memorial, we shall not hare another public-house added to our already too uumerous supply. Pardon the length of my communication — the importance of the subject to tho genoial lateiesla of the colony is my apolugy. — Yours, &c, Tiieta. Auckland, April 16, 1852.

To the Editor of the New Zkalakder. Sir, — In granting licenses on Tuesday next, I trust the Bench of Magistrates will be sparing in their distribution of night licenses. Some of the night-houses are a terrible nuisance in the town — especially those of them which are furnished with the appendages of bowling and skittlo alleys. The rumbling thundering uproar in the dead of the night caused by these gambling establishments is a sad annoyance not only in the immediate neighbourhood, but all over our wooden town, the sound reverberating mid reechoing through almost every street, destroying the comfortable repose of many a man weary after a hard day's work, and who, unlike the frequenters of such places, must attend to his industry at the returning dawn ; as well as disturbing and distracting the aching heads of such as may have the misfortune to be laid on sick beds in their vicinity. Trusting the Justices will consider this hint worthy of notice. — I am, Sir, &c., A Town JlKsiDr.vr.

Eton College, Cambridge.— Eton College chapel bas lately received within us w.ills a very handsome ornamented Gothic font, on the north side of the antechapel, and is intended as a memorial of the many anvablf> qualities of the Rev. Chailes John Abralnni, B D., founeil.v Fellow of Kinj;'-. college, and for many years the resident master at Eton collt^p, and whose dep i tine from this cruutry about eighteen month? a^o for New Zealand «ill be rempiubpied by many of our readets. It is,the sjiontanooub oit'erinj; oi rhe coJlfgera alone, and pimcipally tho^e^lio upiep'ipils to l>li. Abi,iham, by whom it hi 3 been panl lor by mo.vis of sub>cnption, confined we believp ontirely to collegers. The /ont beats th» following inscription- — Hoc Giati Animi testimonium ob multa bi nuf.uia n Carolo Johanna Abiaham, P.T.B. Accej.ta l^o et Eccleiids D.D. Hujusce collegii Scholans quidam ; A.S. 1830.."