THE LICENSING LAW IN AUCKLAND.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 231, 4 July 1872, Page 5

THE LICENSING LAW IN AUCKLAND.

The disputes over Permissive Bills and Licensing Ordinances in Auckland have landed the Licensing Bench of that city in a pretty difficulty. At the last licensing meeting, there were no less than twelve justices on the Bench 5 and the business proceeded satisfactorily until the cases of publicans whose licenses had been refused in conseqtience ol a conviction of once selling liquors on Sunday, came to be dealt with. It was tihen announced that the Bench considered it bad no power to reopen those cases. The whole of the lawyers present urged that the Bench were bound to grant the licenses, because the convictions had not been proved ; and further, that there must be three convictions of a similar character against a publican before his license could be cancelled. A warm discussion ensued between the Bench and Bar, and ultimately, through an accession to the number of J.P. 's, the previous decision was overruled. Mr Beokham, E.M., the presiding justice, with four others thereupon retired, and the Mayor taking the vacant chair, adjourned the meeting. The Hnrald commenting on these proceedings, observes that the lawyers were eloquent on the hardships to individuals by having their licenses refused ; but they quite overlooked the injury inflicted on society by the liquor traffic. Mr Beckham brought out this point in a forcible manner. He said, in reply to Mr MacConnick :—" If the learned gentleman saw the abject misery that we see every day — women coming to ask the intercession of the Court ; orphans brought here whose parents had been brought to ruin — men and women, too, in the most frightful «tate«f debility, filth, and misery ; and all Tbrought about because the publicans will break the law." Now this is a far more serious matter than any possible consideration in favor of persons who desire to engage in a business which brings such ruinous consequences on individuals, and society at large. But, says Mr MacCormick, who on this occasien appeared for the publicans, "With great arespect, these matters are very dreadful ; but if it be thought to make people sober, moral — to put down drunkenness and other vices by law, I am afraid, so long as human nature is what it is, you will not succeed." Now, with all respect to the learned gentleman, he entirely begged the question. The Chairman desired to administer the law in the direction of limiting the number of public-honses ; counsel urged that the law should be administered with a view of iucreasing their number — or, in other words, he desired to make the Licensing Act an instrument for the demoralisation and degradation of the people. The proceedings at the adjourned Licensing Court in Auckland furnish an unanswerable argument in favor of those clauses in Mr Fox's Bill, which relieve '■ the great unpaid" from the performance of this important judicial function, and prevent the appearance of lawyers in support of applications for licences.

* Inangahua Reefs. — The coal used in quartz-crushing operations at Inangahua costs Ll2 per ton. Handsome returns will be required from the reefs, to cover such an expenditure as this.

Costs in Resident Magistrates' Courts. — The Waagnnm Herald has the following : — The monstrous amount of costs in which suitors are mulcted in Magistrates' Courts in town and country is cause of much dissatisfaction. According to the Wairarapa Mercury, at ©reytown, on Thursday last, the Resident Magistrate pointed out the enormous amount of expense which had been incurred in a case that was then being adjudicated upon. A debt of LlO had been incurred, and judgment had been given for the full amount; defendant neglected to pay, and a cow was seized, which did not realise the full amount ; defendant still neglected to pay the balance, and he was proceeded against under a clause of the Resident Magistrates' Act, 1868, generally known as the " debt fraud clause." The case was heard on Thursday, and the amount was paid, but the defendant was rather astonished when he found that the costs amounted to L 8 7s 3(\ or nearly the amount of the original debt. Verily, Chancery is pthiagtoifc.