A DEFINITION OF DRUNKENNESS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 2, 5 June 1900, Page 3

A DEFINITION OF DRUNKENNESS.

The Chief Ju&Ucj rivg a decision at Wellington yossenUy dea.mq with tbe old question of "When if a, man drunk V" It was an appeal against a Magistrate's decibion by Thomas Bmv»n, a hote 1 - keeper at Pahifitua, who v/a-a convscfcoi 7 on 1 December 12 of wiling liquor to ono John Farrellv, v.hile Earrelly was " already in a state of intoxication " The grounds oil appeal were that the decision was erroneous, and that the Magistrate h.A misdirected himself as to the meaning of the words " already in a state, ol intoxication." Sir Koborc ©tout askod the question "What is meanly by < already m a state ot mtoxioa tion ?' " and replied that, in ms ,o,;mioi 5 , it meant that state in which, through intoxicating liquor a person has lo^fc normal control ot his bodily and mental iacultie's. It was a difficult matter to draw tne line so as to determine when a man ceased to bo sobei and became toxicited. It was difficult to aisfiingniah botween ««tr,tes which c uma V gradually. He did not think that "the words '-drank a"d incabbie " we.c the exact equivalent '»f "in a sMta of intoxication,' which sign 'lied some depvees less '•ban absolute incapacity irom I >m ar.iokonaoas. The pe^on imntiouod m ohia case was ea, oble of asking and paying for more and it could be assumed that amuiAvho was thorouohly drnnk (jouid neither ask nor pay for dun':. The weight of evidence fnvouied the case for the appellant, an\l the appsal w ifa allowed and the conuction quabhud.