OHINEMURI LICENSING CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3172, 24 April 1909, Page 3

OHINEMURI LICENSING CASE.

FOR PLAINTIFFS. Honor, Mr Justice Williams. Chief Justice,'made an important declaration yesterday morning in of Appeal in regard to the Commission of Enquiry into the charges of bribery against the Ohinemuri Licensing Committee ~of 1900. Mr Justice' Sim was appointed on' 27th February last, under the Commissions of Enquiry 1908. a commission to enquire into the allegations of bribery against Frederick jCock,i,Thomas j Gavin, Henry William Moore, Hugh Poland, John Ede Taylor, (the Ohinemuri Licensing Committee of 1900) in connection with the license ( of x one Maurice Gogean Power. ™A| motion for writ of prohibit on and injunction was brought by the e ; plaintiffs, the Licensing Committee, to cancel and set aside as illegal and void the commission aforesaid. Ths chief grounds of the motion wera that his Excellency the Governor had no power or authority to issue, under the seal of the Dominion, t.he said commissionconsequently the .commissioner had no jurisdiction The full tdecision was not given yesterday morning. His Honor the Acting Chief Justice sai-J: —Mr Justice Sim is very anxious to be able to arrange the sittings, of his court (the Arbitration Court), in order that he may be able to do that, it is very desirable that this court should give its opinion as m-omptly as possible in the present case. The court is unanimously of opinion that the plaintiffs are entitled to prohibition. The court will formulate its reasons for that decision in a few days. This is all that is necessary to say at present. The question of costs will stand over.