Tuapeka Times AND GLODRIELDS REPOREER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1874. " MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 328, 7 February 1874, Page 2

Tuapeka Times AND GLODRIELDS REPOREER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1874. " MEASURES, NOT MEN."

The Good Templars have initiated a raid upon public houses.. The oaae which they brought under the notice of the Magistrates we desire to understand in all its bearings before committing ourselves either., to approve, or .disapprove of it. The case was to tryithe validity of a license given to Mr. Richmond, of the Scotia Hotel, Bunkdftv who had applied to the Justices for a, transfer of his license,. On coming before the Justices, his case was deferred to another meeting, which lapsed through hon-attendwtfee t>£ the Justices. In these circumstances, the- "Superintendent granted the license, though no report, as required by law, had been handed in by.any of t&e Justices. The .hitch with ils -llpgUtratea arose, we believe, out of

the new licensing law ; and in the meantime the Attorney-General had heen applied to, and when his decision came, it was adverse to ihe Superintendent's action. If the case was simply intended to lessen the ni)tt>ber of public Kouaes )s we certainly feel that it was both unwise and petty to do it on mere technical grounds, such as are set fjcirth in the information against Mr. Richmond, It would have been better for" the Good Templars to have waited for a better case before initiating the movement to which they have committed themselves We confess we should like to see the number of publip houses, reduced. In such numbers as they do exist, they are too much of a temptation to the drunken and dissipated, and it has been proved that this evil is diminished by diminishing the number of licensed houses , and looking sharply after the sly-groggeries ; but we would hot carry out our views in any other than a fair spirit to all concerned. If, however, the movement has been taken up to check what we have previously condemned a3 unconstitutional on the part of the Superintendent and his advisers, — vi£., the granting of licenses wlien the ordinary Bench, from whatever motives, had failed to do it, and in a form not sanctioned by law, — then we do say that the action of the Good Templars in this matter has done good service to the country. The indecent haste shown by the Superintendent in granting these licenses before receiving the opinion of the AttorneyGeneral, cannot be too closely scrutinised and too emphatically condemned. The genius of the British Constitution, which has provided ample guards for the redress jf wrongs, is outraged by such haste. It was not for such purposes that Superintendents were appointed to the Provinces to act with discretion in cases of em exigency. The Province has got beyond the bantling stage when such acts might have been in place. When the first Governors were appointed to the whole Colony, they had power to act with a measure of discretionary arbitrariness ; but so soon as the Colony grew into anything of a population, they were advised and did restrain themselves within the proper functions of vice-royalty in relation to the Constitution in their administration. And if this power of discretionary arbitrariness' was extended in fclio first instance to the Superintendents of Provinces, as we grant it was, it was not for the purpose that these Superintendents should treat the robust youth in the same way as the mere bantling, but that they should, as the Province grew, retire more -wiuhin constitutional forms of administration. Questions like this cropping up are giving us to feel that Otago at least is getting ripe for the Shire system, and we^are ylad to find an administration with which our own representative is identified doing so much to foster Progress Committpes <$i the goldfields and lload Boards over the country. In this way we are becoming more and more prepared every year for local administration of taxes, aud to dispense with Superintendent and Provincial Council altogether. In the apparent pettiness, therefore, of the case as got up by the Good Templars, we should not overlook the fact that it has called attention to a use of power on the part of the Superintendent Avhich a right interpretation of his position should have prevented. But we would advise the Good Templars in future not to lower their influence 'for good by any action that may appear petty. The eyes of the couutry are upan them, and though we do not see our way to join their ranks, we would lend them all the countenance of an outsider in their laudable object of reducing the evils arising from the abuse of alcoholic liquors. That such evils exist among us is unquestionable, and it becomes the duty of everyone who has the good of his country at heart to strive for their removal, and not hinder those who are doing their best to forward' an object so desirable.