MR FOX'S NEW PERMISSIVE BILL.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 786, 16 June 1877, Page 3

MR FOX'S NEW PERMISSIVE BILL.

The Hon. ,W Fox, at a public , meeting^ held at Wanganui last week, gave the following outline of the new Bill he purposes introducing next session "-., The alterations which it was proposed should be made in the present Licensing Law by the Permissive or Local Option Bill, he would explain. By the present law, Licensing Courts have been instituted, composed, of nominees of the Government, into whose hands the vast monopoly has passed ; but it was not proposed to interfere with their duties or powers, save in one important particular. " The first duty ofthe Court was to decide upon the qualifications of the applicant for a ylicense ; the second, as to the suitability of the premises. With these duties it was not proposed to interfere. • The third question they had to decide was, whether the license was wanted — hot in the interests of -the publican, or importer, or distiller—but in the interests of* the people of the district. By the Per missive Bill this most important question would be taken out of the hands of the Court, and relegated to the people themselves- to decide — he hoped to the adult, males and females of every licensing district. There weref one or two slight varix ations of opinion a:s to -how the will of the people should be expressed. Mr Stout and others, backed by the authority; of constitutional usage, wished the matter decided by, a simple majority of one ', for himself, he was liberal enough to abide by tha result involved in recognising a majority of three-fourths. < Mr Stont's bill relegated the matter to a simple majority of ratepayers ; he, on the other hand, was willing that it should be decided by two-thirds of the number who recorded their^ votes— the Resident Magistrate forwarding voting papers to every householder, whose duly it will be j simply to fill in the word " yes" or " no" in answer to the query therein contained, as to whether any license should be granted " within the district. The speaker has explained that the Licensing Bill introduced by him in 1873 contained the germ of the permissive principle, but the machinery for carrying it into effect had been so mutilated by its opponents that it was rendered unworkable. In addition to the stale arguments against the bill, that it would not effect the object aimed at, and that it was an interference with ..personal liberty, it was now urged that obtaining the voice of the people in the way proposed was unconstitutional—was Napoleonic— was in the form of a plebiscite.^ To this he might answer, that if it was unconstitutional it^wasj' accordance with

the practice^ i9^, the- British Parliament, whioh had* recognised i the principle when dealing; "ith - the questibns of public schools and public libraries. — J** Southern Mercury. , "