The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Ressurexi. MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1884.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4810, 9 June 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Ressurexi. MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1884.

We see that ono of the Auckland L'icen* sing Benches has notified the holder of. _7alicense for a city hotel that it intends/ 'fit:' the hearing of his adjourned application, to produce evidence that he has been guilty of Sunday trading, and (£e Herald remarks tbat they presume that, the evidence to be given in such a direction will consist of the testimony of persons who have watched the house on certain Sundays. A similar opinion has been long publicly held, from t tbe,,,fact that what have been termed from, a'iffitili'efe example "Vigilance Committees," have been occupying their spare time on Sundays in observing and taking notes of people who enter various hotels on the seventh day. r>We may premise our objections to this system of ignoring the law, by stating that we have no sympathy with those who are found violating it. We simply desire to record a most emphatic .protest against the system of espionage, which the ultratemperance benches in Auckland.' are apparently working upon; and to maintain that no Licensing Committee has power to go beyond the limits of the .Act, in.carrying out the duties placed in its hands. Means of .providing information as to'transgression's of the law by Licensed Victuallers are given Commissioners by several clauses in the Act, and a diligent police force, ever ready to distinguish, and gain kudos for itself, by discovering legal laches, is in existence; no provision whatever is made by the law for the self-appointment of any committee or body to enquire for themselves, and submit what evidence may suit their side of a case, in any action taken under an Act' cf Parliament. It would appear that accepting such evidence, irregularly obtained, and, we may venture to say, of such an. unreliable nature—as it cannot for a moment be imagined that any of these spies written of, wonld enter any hotel on prohibited days, to see that the law was being violated, but would merely look at the door, and chronicle the number of passers in and- out —would be establishing a very dangerous precedent. The very same bench has already displayed a considerable amount of high-handed-ness in dealing with, applications made to it, and ignoring arguments offered in support of them. It has almost said,. " We have the power, and we mean io use it, nd matter what consequences may arise." It has stmpiy sat as a bench | assembled to carry out a pro-determined purpose tj^ refuse as many licenses as possible, and to curtail, as much as possible, toe privileges of those which they could not well extinguish. This is not the spirit in which the present Act was conceived, 1 and we would warn those over zealous abolitionists that by overdoing their work they are very likely to hasten an amendment of an Act which is proving that its provisions are open to much abuse. We would advise these gentry forming the bench in question to exercise a little moderation, and betray more toleration in thtir action?. It is quite unnecessary to further refer to the provisions of the .Act under which they exist as commissioners, which provides officers to do that which they apparently deem it necessary they should have done by private and unauthorised persons. _____________ -