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Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 102, 22 January 1870, Page 5

(To the Editor of the Tuapelia Times.) Sir, - 1 have always been an admirer of fair play, and in accordance with that principle I pen these few lines. I believe the police authorities of late have been very energetic in bringing some of those to the bar of justice who have offended against the Licensing Ordinance. I say some of those, because, up to the present time only two of the large (reputed) number have as yet been brought before that sacred bar. I repeat it, the bar of justice, because that is a term in general, use in connection with any police court case. Ido not wish to be misunderstood in the sense in which I use the term, a3 what I will endeavour to say will explain my meaning. A few weeks ago a large number of people left this township for the purpose of witnessing the Beaumont liaces. On the route thither several houses were passed which are occupied by old Lawrence residents ; and it appears that some of them are in the habii of keeping a few bottles of liquid a littla stronger than that generally used for eyewater. Well, on the second day of ths races, which you will remember was very wet outside, some of our local sporting men, being more dry inside than out, called upon their old friends on the way for the purpose of taking something stronger than rain water— little suspecting that they were dogged by a member of the model police force of this province — but this they were, which the sequel of this letter will clearly show. Some days after the occasion above recorded took place, the holders of two of the above houses were summoned to appear before W. L. Simpson, Esq., one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, to answer to the charge of sly grog selling. I may state that one of these defendants is supposed to be, in colonial phraseology, "well in," and the other in the same parlance "hard-up." Now, Sir, you will understand that the one above described as "well in" resides in close proximity to an hotel, and the other two miles from any house ; but the R.M.fl fined the one residing clos3 to the hotel £10, and the other £20. Simple-minded people may enquire why. I will endeavour to give the reason. The poor man residing at the furthest distance had the audacity some considerable time ago to take up an acre of ground on tho run of Driver and Maclean, expecting that the run would shortly be thrown* open for agricultural purposes, but such event did not take place. Now the R.M. in summing up, very wisely pointed out th; t it was very wrong to take up an acre of land on any ones run for the purpose of sly grog selling, and, moreover, he intimated that he would deal very severely with any one who would occupy the land, for that ptirpose. Sir, Ido not wish it to be understood that I am an advocate of the infringement of the law, but I must say that if the police wish to bring forward casea of that description., they need not go beyond the boundaries of the citf of Lawrence,— .l «n, &c.., Pair. P&ax.