The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3894, 22 June 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1881.

The advice was very sensible given Mr Saunders when speaking upon the amendment proposed by Sir W. Fox ou the 46th section of the new Licensing 1 Bill. He recommended his friends to be content with having got local option to the fullest extent in the election of the Licensing Bench, and not to endanger the bill altogether by asking too much. The amendment by Sir W. Fox was to the effect that local option was to be exercised on all licenses granted. The clause in the Bill reads as follows :—" From and after the commencement of this Act, no new publican's, family hotel club, bottle, or New Zealand wine, except respectively, for premises in respect of which a license is held and is in force at the aforesaid time, shall be granted until the ratepayers of the district shall have previously deter* mined, in manner provided, whether the number of such licenses within the district may or may not be increased." The amendment was not carried, and probably that fact will assist in saving the Bill, for with the alterations already made, notably that of the election of the Licensing Commissioner!), the number of opponents to the measure is increasing, and their strength is not to be despised. That such is the case is shown by the fact that not* withstanding the desire of the Government the clause granting bottle licenses had to be abandoned. In England bottle licenses are allowed, and the provision is thought to be a wise one. It is not at all unlikely that the bill will be so altered in Committee, that the Government will refuse to accept it, and will have it with-

drawn.