QUARTERLY LICENSING COURT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2479, 1 March 1881, Page 2

QUARTERLY LICENSING COURT.

TIMARU—THIS DAY.

Before R. Beetham, T. W. Hall, and E, Elworthy, Esqs -

The Quarterly Licensing Court for Timaru, the Mount Cook and the Levels districts was held this morning Inspector Pender reported that the way in which the various houses throughout the above districts had beca conducted during the last quarter was very satisfactory. APPLICATION. Mr Toss will applied on behalf of William Warne to hive the temporary transfer of the Railway Hotel, Pleasant Point, from Thomas Connor to himself, confirmed. The Bench enquired where the applicant was. Mr Tosswill replied that he had told * him that he had better be present. •The Bench said that it was his business to be present. Mr Tosswill said that his client, he thought, had no doubt that the application would be granted, and lie (Mr Tosswill) had no idea that any objection would be made to it. Bench reminded Mr Tosswill that the applicant had been before the Court aud fined while managing the

house. Mr Tosswill said he had seen something to this effect in the newspapers, but that Warne had no counsel to defend him on the occasion of his coming before the Court. Mr Beetham —It is possible for a case to be properly gone into, Mr Tosswill, even when counsel does not appear. Mr Tosswill then stated that his client was in town, to his knowledge, and asked that the case might be adjourned until two o’clock. The Bench said that the delay was very inconvenient, but ultimately granted the request. On resuming, the Bench positively declined to grant the transfer (permanently) from Connor to Warne, remarking that Mrs Hope was virtually the licensee of the house while Warne was merely her manager, and this state of things could not possibly be allowed. The license had already been refused to Mrs Hope, and the present application was merely an attempt to evade that refusal.

Mr Tosswill asked that the matter should stand over for 14 days to allow of Mrs Hope disposing of the Hotel to Warne. The Bench refused to accede to the request, and intimated that unless Mr Tosswill could satisfy them that the house had actually changed hands, at the expiration of 14 days, they must decline to grant the transfer of the licensee.

The Licensing Court then adjourned