Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1893. LICENSING COMMITTEES UPTO DATE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4442, 13 June 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1893. LICENSING COMMITTEES UPTO DATE.

SECOND EDITION

We read but a few days ago Judge Richmond's strictures oa the administration of the Licensing Aot in the Empire City and we thought that Wellington was, as far nskshotelswere concerned, a very Sodom and Gomorrah rolled into one. Then we read bow that the Licensing Committee met and oh "what a surprise," the publicans came up trailing by the dozen and were handed their licenses with encouraging words by the Licensing Committee. Then we thought that Wellington must be a Paradise for publicans only, and the idea occurred to us that if Satan himself desired to become a licensed victualler in the Empire City and to open a little branch establishment in bis owr peculiar line for his friends and for the public, he wonld, in the present Blateoftbe law—with, of course, the advantage of the usual professional skill-have no difficulty in securing a license, Were supb an application to be mgde ppuld jmagjnj tjiattbe report of the proceedings would run pretty niuoh as follows I-

Mr Demon, then, on behalf of his olient Mr Nicholas Lucifer, applied for a license for a house to be known as "The Pandemonium," a house which he assured,the Committee was much needed in the city; one which would provide ainjle accommodation for travellers in search : of choice spirits or a grill, and where snug, he might inmost say warm quarters, Would be found by one and all. His client, the respectable gentleman who stood before them, had complied with all the requirements of the law and he was, he'solemnly assured the Comj jiiiitee, prepared to conduct V !Tlie'*Pariclejgoniqiul' as sijcl) &high ; o|[iss csiablishjue'nf Oijght lo b,e [jjid bjfofp ■■ flier ;'}^jjjmi|)tj|S| donts who declared thai'the proposed house was just tho thing they wanted and that they could notbehappy without it. The. police, while speaking |ith duo i reject .of Ur Laeiler. a wj «li ttaieal

who. was woll known to thorn, could not recommend the application; as people living j in the neighbourhood of tho proposed House complained that the locality would become too hot,for them if. it wero'granted. His antecedents too, wete not quite all that could be desired,'and the j considered his horns, hoots and tail wonld be a detriment to him to say nothing of a ce.'tain sulphurous ■ atmosphere whioh siwounded hun and which must bo perceptible even to the Committee. A memorial had also been presented by a number of residents praying here Mr Lucifer was observed io tremble) that tho Hou3o known as "The Pandemonium," was not really required, as there .were already a sufficient number of houses octhe same o'is3 licensed in tho city. MrLuoifer, too, had traded before under tho name o! "Old Nick" (the Chairman of the Committee—"Order I"), Mr Demon implored the Committee not to allow themselves to be b'assedby the malicious and malignant ins'juations of a prejudiced police, an] not permit the myrmidons o! the law to hovnd out of the community a gentleman like his client, who desired to settlo among them, and who pledged himself to conduct "The Pandemonium" just as it shou'd be conduotu. He scouted the memorial as a document signed by rabid Prohibitionists (ftc Committee shwU'feA His client was .not 60 black as he had been painted, He was also an orphan who could not live unless " The Pandemonium " wore licensed, Would the Committee utterly ruin an orphan? Ho thought not, iwid'he could find no words to oxpress his reprobation of tho unseemly allusion to the horns I to the hoofs I to the tail! Were the gentlemen on the Committee so unfeeling as to notiico in his client, Mr Lucifer, ceuiiu trifling personal peculiarities 'or which he was not responsible, and which did not in any decree dcirac; from his oharacter or appearance. Be was not thereto dofend Mr Lucilor's anteeedents l Who, amongst them, could say he had ncvor erred; but ho was instructed to give pledges for the future; to assert that "The Pandemonium," if licensed, would prove to be a)', that codd be espoded of it. Could he, or his respected client, saymoiei Give Mr Lucifer a chance, one trial would bo enough I He frankly admitted Mr Lucifer's past indiscretion, but he challenged, ho unhesitatingly defied, tho police to prove again;! him a single charge. The police we;'o not fit to hold a caudle to his client, and he claimed fair p'ay on his belmlf. When they knew him beiter.ns they might do Eome day, they would be the last to disparage him or to give him a cold shoulder. He appeal Oi to the Committee not to damp the ardour, not to blast the reputation of his client, Mr Lucifer, by refusing him a license. In conclusion he maintained, thai under the law, which had been complied with in every particular, there was uo ground oa which the licenso could possibly be refused. Even if his client in the past had undev certain circumstances appeared in an unfavouiable light, these circumstances were susceptible of explanation, and if it wore the pleasure of the Committee ho was quite prepared to explain tbom, 1 Tho Committee, alter retiring to conridcr its decision, stated that the license would 1 be granted, but unless the applicant kept his promises of conducting the house as it should be conducted, they would not renew il at the end of his terra. The police <lei served gteal credit for the position theybad taken with regaul to this application, and the Committee had attached great weight to their representations. Still, after careful consideration it had decided to issue the license. Mr Demon,. on behalf of his client, thanked the Committee, and retired with MrLuoifer,

Tha Committee then adjourn«d for an hour to enable the building to bo ventilated."