Licensing Court.

Patea Mail, 9 December 1880, Page 2

Licensing Court.

The quarterly sitting of the Licensing Commissioners was hold on Tuesday, at Patea. C. A. Wray, R.M., Dr Croft, H. F. Christie, and J. Livingston were on the bench. NE I V HAIL WA Y HO TEL. Mr Felix O’Sulivan McCarthy applied, through Mr Ward, for a license to the new hotel near the Patea railway wharf, east side of the bridge. The application was signed by the following :—J Milroy, J Gibson, E F Symos, W C Symes, A Wood, H K P Adarns, H Gibbons, G W Sauoders, W Howitt, E M Honcyficld, Fred Cowcrn, W J Gibbons, W Goweru, 11 G Tcnnent, W Keith, G D Hamorton, W Dale, T Eyton, GF Sherwood, J Black. Sergeant Donovan said : I have inspected these premises. There arc six or seven rooms upstairs finished, but the flooring is not finished downstairs. The kitchen is built, but there is no stabling. There is no approach to the house from the bridge, which is not yet built. Mr Wray : I see there is a letter from Mr Downes, in which ho says the work is to be started at once, and to bo pushed on with expedition. Sergeant Donovan: There is no approach, unless you go along the road a good piece. Mr Ward : If the Commissioners think this application is not quite ripe, it is competent to adjourn the license for a fortnight till the police report farther as to the condition of this house. There is a road to.it at present, and the bridge in front is to be put up immediately. The proprietor has gone to a large expense in building a good house, and I have evidence to show, if necessary, that in a fortnight it will be in such an advanced state that the Court can arrive at a conclusion that by the Ist of January it will be in proper order for opening as a hotel. I am not aware that there is a better built house in this neighborhood. The contractor is a little behind with his work, which he says is due to the weather. If you are of opinion that the building is not sufficiently advanced, yon could say that the house would be licensed upon the report of the police being satisfactory when presented at your adjourned meeting. That has been the order of things in other places. Mr Wray: In reference to this application, it appears to the Commissioners that neither the house, nor the premises, nor the approaches to the house arc at present in a state to justify the granting of a license, and tliey are determined to post-

pone the consideration of this matter until the next ordinary meeting to be held in tin ee months. Mr' Ward ; In that case you will adjourn the application, and I presume there will be no necessity to put in a new application. Mr Wray : Wc shall not consider the question at all at present. It will be open for a fresh application to be made at the next quarterly sitting. Mr Ward : It entails a severe loss on the proprietor, because by the end of December the house would be ready to be opened, whereas he has to continue the house at a direct positive loss. If you were to entertain this application and adjourn it till a fortnight Mr Wray : Ido not see there is likely to be any loss. IE the Bench approve of the person who applies for the license, they can then consider the application. Mr Ward: If the Bench have an objection to the present applicant, I can understand the refusal of this application. Mr Wray : The consideration of this question will be posponed until the next quarterly sitting. MANGA WIIERO. Lawerence Sinclaire Price, who keeps a refreshment house between Nornianby and Stratford, applied for a license to sell wines and spirits. The application was backed by 21 signatures. Mr Farrington supported the application stating that the iiouse was much used by drovers and. farmers passing along the Mountain Road, and Mr Price had sometimes to give spirits to persons who came in wot, but not having a license he could not charge for the spirits. Mr Wray : I think this application has been before the Court and refused on the ground that there was not sufficient accommodation, and that public requirements did not necessitate a licensed house in that locality. Mr Farrington : Since that time the necessary accommodation has been added, and the requirements of the district have increased. There is a large population. Sergeant Donovan : I am not aware that Sergeant Cahill has made any report on the house. Mr Wray : Is this the case brought before the New Plymouth Court for sly grog selling V Applicant : Yes, and Judge Shaw recommended me to apply for a license. Mr Wray: Wc should like to hear Sergeant Gain'll on this subject. Mr Farrington : 1 am instructed that the inspector of police in Taranaki has told Mr Price that if two rooms were added lie would support the application, Mr Wray : I saw Inspector Bullet], and he did not say anything very favorable to the house. The Court do not wish to give any decision until they have heard something from tiie police. The}' will adjourn this matter for 14 days, and Sergeant Cahill will receive notice. HAWERA. The Court sanctioned the transfer of license for the Empire Hotel from Mr T. Lloyd to Mr Henry Cook. Mr Farrington supported this application. Beware of the Lions.— While a man was delivering the beef for the Hons, and other members of the carnivora of Cole’* Circus, in Wellington, an accident was prevented only by the ready activity of two of the circus riders. The lions smelt the horse, and commenced roaring, whereupon the liorsc, a very powerful one, over 15 hands high, immediately began trembling all over, and then to plunge violently. The two men, aided by the driver, immediately sprang to the horse’s head, just in time to stop the animal, now strongly maddened with fear; and for a few minutes no one could tell whether the men could hold the animal or not, but at last they got the horse away. It is not uncommon for cattle and horses to show signs of fear at the mere smell of a lion, without hearing his terrifying roar. The China Mail says :—“ Canton is covered with posters warning the people not to go to Australia, where ‘the mouse has got into the cow’s car," i.0.. where the natives are taking a mean advantage of the Chinese monster's helpless position. The police connive at the roughs insulting behavior, and the authorities arc top weak to get at the offenders. The happy land lias changed into a country of sorrow. Friends arc warned by telegraph to stay at home.” It was an Irish newspaper that said of Robespierre that “ he left no children him, except a brother, who was killed at thiT same time.” “ What papers off my writing-desk are you burning there ?” cried an author to the servant girl.—“ Oh, only the paper what’s written over, sir ! I hain’t touched the clean,” waa tiie comforting reply.