PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3897, 25 June 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Peb"Pbess Association.)

HOUSE OF REPEESENTATIVES.

Evening Sitting,

Wellington, Friday. THE LICENSING BILL.

The Licensing Bill was further considered in committee.

A motion by Mr Turnbull, that licensing fees be made colonial instead of local revenue, was lost on a division of 5 to 54.

A motion by Mr Murray, that packet licenses be treated as colonial revenue, and not the revenue of the locality by which the license was issued, was also lost.

Clause 126 was, as printed, as follows : —No female other than the licensee, the wife or daughter of the licensee, as the case may be, shall be in the bar of a licensed house for more than ten hours each day, and no female, except the aforesaid, shall, with or without her consent, be employed in the bar after the hour of eleven post meridian. A breach of the provision is a fine not exceeding £20.

On the motion of Sir W. Fox it was altered to read, "No woman other than the licensee shall be employed in the bar of a licensed house more than eight hours each day."

On the motion of Mr Bowen, ifc was agreed that no female, except the aforesaid, shall, with or without her consent, be employed in the bar after 10 p.m. Clause '127 declared engagements with dancing girls void, and any licensee might have his license cancelled and his house declared a disorderly one for permitting girls to dance in his house.

Clause 128 forfeits the license for permitting a room to be used as a dancing, concert, or theatrical saloon. .

Clause 129 inflicts a penalty upon the licensee for refusing to provide lodging meals or accommodation to travellers.

Sir W. Fox moved an amendment on this clause, requiring the supply of tea, coffee, &c, at all bars, but it was negatived on the voices.

Mr Leyestam moved a further amendment, rendering it not compulsory to supply liquor as well as meals or lodging, .unless with valid excuse.

The amendment was negativcdjby 32 to 25, and the clause then passed. Clause 130 provides for stabling to be kept attached to licensed houses.

Clause 131 says, if any master or other person employing journeymen, workmen, servants, or labourers, shall pay, or cause any payment to be made to any su«h person in or at any licensed premises or in the house in which liquor is sold, he shall for every such offence forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding £10, provided nothing shall prevent a licensed person paying his own" servants.

132—N0 Post Office shall be established in a licensed house except by special permission, and no local rates shall be paid thereat.

133.—N0 licensed person shall receive any debt or demand on account of any liquor supplied by him to any person for consumption on the premises, but such person may sue for and recover the value of liquor supplied with meals to any person bona fide lodging in the house.

134.—1f any licensed person shall receive in payment or as a pledge for any liquor or entertainment supplied in or from his licensed premises anything except current money, or cheques on bankers, or orders tor payment of money, he shall for such offence pay a penalty not exceeding £10. The person to whom belongs anything given as a pledge as aforesaid shall have the same remedy for recovering such pledge or the value thereof, as if.it had never been pledged.

Sir W. Fox moved an amendment to prevent publicans cashing cheques unless drawn by the persons supplied. He referred to certain classes of publicans who kept men's cheques until they were sweated out, or alleged to be exhausted by the score run up. The amendment was negutived on the voices.

Lateb. Wellington, This day. The consideration of the Licensing Bill was farther continued.

Mr Murray moved, as an amendment, that all public-houses within a mile of any polling booth should be closed on election days.

The amendment, however, was withdrawn after some discussion, during which Sir W. Fox suggested the propriety of all elections for local bodies in a district taking place on the same day as iv America.

Mr Eussell proposed an amendment to exempt Clubs from having to close at 11 o'clock on week nights and »J1 Sunday. After some discnssio^,he amendment was withdrawn, and the'clause passed, on the understaudipli^at the bill would be re-committed for aiurthir consideration of the whole question of Club licenses. Mr Bowen moved to insert the wbrds " ten miles," in place of " three miles," in the clause defining bona fide travellers.

It was, however, negatived by 33 to 18. Several amendments were proposed on other' clauses, but none were of an important nature. Those to make complaints about habitual drunkenness being heard in private instead of in open Court were negatived.

5 Mr, Bastings, believing that time was being wasted over the bill, which would never pass, moved that the Chairm an leave the chair.

The Premier strongly opposed the abandonment of snch a valuable measure, and Sir W. Fox also opposed the proposal, which was supported by Mr Barron.

The motion was negatived, and after some further discussion clauses 168 to 229 (the last) were then agreed to, and progress was reported, and the House rose at 12.50.

During the sitting the Premier said Government could not consent to any adjournment of the House to enable members to attend the Dunedin Exhibition, but,- if any considerable number wished to go,. the Hinemoa would be placed at their disposal.