New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, April 17, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 491, 17 April 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, April 17, 1850.

At the annual meeting of Magistrates held yesterday for the purpose of granting Publicans' Licenses in this district, six additional licenses were granted, five of which are for houses to be opened in Wellington, So great and unusual an increase of the number of licenses in the town (the number granted in Wellington last year amounting only to fourteen) seems to have been thought by the Magistrates to require some explanation, and they have accordingly passed a resolution which will be found in this day's Spectator. The principal reason assigned for granting so many additional licenses is a desire to secure to the public the advantages of competition, and the resolution goes on to state that a rigid supervision will be exercised, and that the law will, in all cases, be strictly enforced. The last part of the resolution seems as superfluous, as the ad ditional number of licenses is unnecessary. It is to be presumed that the laws are always fairly and impartially administered for the protection of the public, without any intermittent fits of relaxation and vigilance, and therefore that part of the resolution which states the determination of the Magistrates to be influenced in continuing or withholding licenses by the manner in which the houses are conducted is, in fact, surplusage, as no licenses should at any time be continued unless the holders of them prove to be worthy of the privilege. How far an increased competition will prove a benefit to the public remains to he decided. That the Magistrates should always take care to license a sufficient number of houses for the reasonable accommodation of the public will hardly admit of dispute, neither, we think, will it be disputed that the number of licenses now granted is more than sufficient for the wants of the public, as it seems to be

the general impression that many of the licenses now granted will not be renewed,-— that they will prove unprofitable speculations. The effect of such a competition, in the mean time, will be to cause those who are carrying on a losing game to make desperate efforts to retrieve themselves, and offer greater facilities for the indulgence of immorality and vice, while it is to be feared the general character of the taverns and public houses in Wellington will be lowered from the feeling of insecurity which will be imparted to those who have invested their means in this particular calling.

Publicans' Licenses. — Yesterday there was a numerous attendance of Magistrates at the Resident Magistrate's Court for the renewal of Publicans' Licenses for the current year, and for the purpose of taking into consideration the applications for licenses for new houses. Of the new applications three were rejected, and six granted, and of the latter five are in the town of Wellington, so that the number of public houses in Wellington and its immediate neighbourhood will be increased ,this year to twenty-four. The names of those to whom licenses for new houses have been granted are as follows : — James Calder, Kaiwarra ; Thomas Cooper, Wellington ; William Couper, Tiakiwai ; Rowland Davis, Wellington ; W. E. Vincent, do. ; W, E. Wallace, do. The Magistrates, considering the numerous applications which had been made, passed the following resolution :—: — "That the Magistrates, in renewing annually the licenses of Public Houses, will not consider the interests, however great, that any individual may have in the property, but the welfare of the community alone ; and that the numerous applications granted on this occasion have been acceded to in the hope of securing to the public the benefit of competition. It is not, however, to be inferred from the extension of the number of licenses that any relaxation is intended in the exercise of the duty of the Bench to regulate and control the sale of spirituous liquors. That a vigilant system of inspection by the police will be directed during the ensuing year, and that the Bench hereby resolves not to renew any license on future occasions to parties who shall have beea found to conduct their houses in a disorderly manner, by allowing drunkenness, harbouring bad characters, impeding the police in the detection of crime, or any other irregularities And to ensure the means of detection the records of the Resident Magistrate's Court will be referred to before granting licenses, to ascertain what convictions may have taken place during the year, directly or indirectly affecting the management of such houses. The Bench at the same time suggests that each licensed house should have a suitable number of bed rooms, and a convenient stable, and all necessary out-offices."

On Monday night the store of Mr. Ander" son on Lambton- quay was broken open, and property to some amount, consisting of several waistcoats, pieces of calico, pairs of boots, and other articles, stolen. The thieves effected an entrance in the front part of the premises. A reward of £10 has been offered to any one who will give such information as may lead to the conviction of the offenders. We regret to observe that several robberies have lately taken place, and an increased degree of vigilance is required, on the part of the Police, particularly in their surveillance of suspicious characters.

On Saturday afternoon a man of the name of Peck was robbed at Te Aro under the following circumstances. Peck who^ had. tfeen collecting money during the day had met with an acquaintance named Thompson, and had been drinking with him. While walking together, Peck was suddenly attacked and knocked down by Thompson, and, after a short struggle, robbed of Twenty Pounds in gold and silver. Thompson was subsequently taken by the Police at Pimble's where he was found' drinking, Only a part of the money was found about him, at the time of his apprehension. Thompson was brought before H. St. Hill Esq. Resident Magistrate on Monday when he was fully committed to take his trial for the robbery.

Programme of the performance of the Band of the 65th. Regt., at Thorndon Flat, on Wednesday, April 17th :—: — 1. Overture— Semiramide Rossini. 2. Grand lelection — I Lombardi .... Verdi. , 3. Ernani Quadrille Jullien. 4. Selection — Haydee Auber. 5. Les Beauties de Vienne die Ma.it- \ Prince Metraume Waltzer J ternich. 6. Selection — Maritana Wallace. 6. Vienna Galop . . Strauss. 8. Helena. Polka „ , , , , , , , , , , , . , t f , Albert,

The following extract, professing to describe a scene in the theatre of this town, is .taken from " Mackillop's Reminiscences of twelve months' service in New Zealand." If all his scenes and descriptions are qfa'similar character, we fear that his Reminiscences of New Zealand will prove to be very imperfect and exaggerated. Soon after our arrival we received a playbill, which rather surprised us ; having been given to understand at Auckland, that this place was so inferior a settlement to the capital, that the theatricals' seemed quite out of place. Curiosity, however, induced many of us to go and see what the place was like. We' went, accordingly, and found the house so full that it was with considerable difficulty we could get up to our perches — which we were told were the boxes. However, by dint of pulling from above, and pushing from below, we managed to get into them. The ladder which had been placed for the accommodation of the audience mounting to these seats had been broken before our arrival, by some of the audience, during a slight disturbance. As soon as our eyes had become accustomed to the cloudy atmosphere, which was strongly impregnated with tobacco smoke, we discovered the stage and its recesses. The piece was just about to commence, the pit having come to an amicable understanding with each other, after considerable demonstrations of pulling the boxes Jown, and annihilating the occupants. The first actor who made his appearance was greeted with such a shout, and underwent such an impertinent cross-examination as to where he had procured his red-striped pantaloons, how the moustache was stuck on, &c, that he could not proceed. This being highly irregular, the manager came on to request that order might be kept ; unfortunately for himself, he was known to the colonistsas a vocalist, and was accordingly called upon for a song in such an energetic manner, that to save the stage from being upset, he sang "The Admiral;" and being in the costume of ' Macbeth ' it had on the whole a pleasing effect. He was loudly applauded for his good nature, which, however, was further put to the test by the wilful hearers calling on their first friend of the red-striped trousers to favour them in a similar way ; he, however, not being prepared to perform in this way, was hissed off the stage, and older was not restored until one of the actresses came on and sang at least half-a-dozen songs in succession, which were received with Taptures of applause. The piece was then commenced,, and went on smoothly for half-an-hour, when poor Macbeth happening to be left alone on the stage to get through some soliloquy, the wayward audience, knowing him to be a* dancing-master, and excelling in the sailor'shornpipe, demanded it in a manner which would not bear refusal. The fiddlers were accordingly ordered, in a very peiemptory manner, to strike up, and poor Macbeth was obliged to start off. His long sword rather interfering with his steps, he laid: it aside, and went to work in capital style, which brought forth such shouts of delight and uproarious peals of laughter, accompanied by such screams and other symptoms of excessive approbation, that in a few minutes down came the boxes, the supports having been knocked away from beneath. This brought the hornpipe to a finale, and with it the whole of the performance. We, who had shared the downfall of the boxes, were glad to get out into the fresh air, having luckily escaped with afew bruises.