THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1878.

Inangahua Times, Issue 62, 29 July 1878, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1878.

Tub Licensed Victual lers throughout Iho Colony aro indebted to tho Proas Agency for thp ecaro rcoontly caused by the publication of what purported to be a telegraphic roaumo of tho now Licensing Bill, It turns out, howevor, that tho Government, though having in contemplation tho introduction of an Amended Licensing Act, afc tlio ap« proaching session, havo not, up to tho prooont timo, agreed upon a oinglo foaturo or drafted a lino of tho new moafluro. Thia intimation haa boon made by tho Government in repudiation of tho information telographed by tho Agency, and ib has since oomo to light that tho latter obtained tho intelligence co industriously transmitted from on ontiroly imaginatiyo writer in ono of tho Wellington ovoning papers, and upon no more euro foundation than thiu, ifc would floom, the Agenoy thought fit to mulct the unoiFending Proas of tho Colony in tho oost of wir< ring tho trash. Ah, however, wo haye the assurance of the Government that a Bill will bo introduced during the coming Bossion to amend tho oxisting licensing law, it will bo instructive to know Bomothing of tho probable o6urso which the contomplated amendments tray tako. Tho Attornoy - Goneral (the Hon Mr Stout) at bia recent Dunedin meeting lot tho publio protty woll into tho confidonco of tho Govern** ment upon many matters, and amongst others, that of tho Licensing question, and if his views on tho subjeot nre to be takon as a fair index of those of his colleagues, aa thoy probably are, it is not hard to divine tho nature of the nmondmonts likely to bo proposed. Upon this fltibjoct wo cannot do hotter than give Mr Stout*n exact words. Ho said j— 'l may say that I am in favor of giving to tho peoplo tho moat direct control, not only in roforouco lo this liconaing question, but also in regard to all othora. Tho Local Option Bill .limply askn to givo tho peoplo tho groatost control whioh can bo given to thorn. Why should any olass bo afraid to givo ouch powor to tho people, and why should thoy nofc have the aamo powor m the Licensing Bonoh. Wo have a Local Option Bill which is already law, and if two-thirda of the inhabitants in any lioonaing district— Loith Ward for instaneo — wish that thero ahall bo no publichouao in Loith Ward, tliey can prevent ifc } for, if two-thirds of them voto by way of memorial against eaoh publican the Liconaing Bonoh would havo to say that it could nofc grant tho lioonso. The alfcorafcion I wish to aoo ia this ; that inntoad of two«lhirda of tho people voting against each individual publican, tho voto ahould be taken ove* tho whole diatriot overy three yoara. I may any that thia ia tho fairest way of approaohing such a subjeot aa this. I notice that tho candidates during the reconfc Dunedin eleotion wero all rawing tho question. Thoy said, " Vfo are in favor of a a Local Option Bill, bufc wo want compensation." I aay that any person who talks about a Looal Option Bill, and at tho same talks about compensation, ahould aay that ho was against Local Option altogether. Why ahould a publican bo compensated P la it becauso ho has lost hia lioonso P No one proposes to tako ifc from him till the end of tho year, Tho Stato says to the publican thnt in consideration of tho sum whioh be pays it will allow him to soil liquors for one yonr. If tho Stato fulfills its contract and saya. " You shall aell for ono year, but not for the next year," what right has tho publican to componaation at all P I ask you to look at this question of componaation in anothor light, and I want to know for what ia the com* pensation to bo given P la it for the building P Well, no ono propoacs to tnke tho bnilding, nor doos any ono propose to take tho trado from fcho publican | All that tho State pvopoaea to cay i«, " Tou shall nofc sell I'quor," — (Langhtor ) Can it be paid thut thore is a good-will to that? You know that nll thoao peoplo who aro licensed aro liconscd not moroly to soil liquor, bufc also to look after travollora and suoh like I ask you lo look nt it tlr's way; You tako nothing from Ihom but goodwill and trade, nnd if thrifts ho pro* fltnblo thon I sny thnt thoy aro paying too small a lioonso foo to tho Stale, and wo will hnvo to got more monoy from them than in tho past, and do as in Glasgowput tho liconsos up to auotion, nnd soo how high a prico thoy will fotch. Thoy sny thoy havo a vested right, and thnt thoy re quiro compensation for thoso vested rights.

■nmmmmmtt n\.< . iinnm ... i -n-imimiiin i ., »w n ....—.wi*--" "•""■'' So, Anslin puts it, if you aro going to compensato tho publican you should also • ooniponsato thoso who havo orcctod suit* ablo houses for hotels, but who havo boon refused licenses by tho Bonoh. Why should thoy not bo compensated 08 woll as thoso who hnvo got lioonsoi. P I oannot sco tho distinction; Is it not vory poouliar that at prosont tlio Lioonsn ing Bonoh mny say to a man,' Your lioonso is rofusod,' and givo no roasons, and from whoso decision thore is no nppo.il and yot no ono talks about compensation In suoh oases. Tbon how (loos it happon thnt whon tho pooplo sny that thoro shall bo no moro liconsos compensation is demanded, but whon tho Bonoh say 00, you ask nono P Thoroforo, so far as compensation is oonoornod, it is what I may torm illogioal arid absurd. I think, niflo, that tho dlsoussion of this licensing evory throo yoarn would havo nn immense oftbot upon tho colony* I boliovo that thoro is too much drinking and drunkonnoss in this oolony, and I boliovo that tho pooplo should do all thoy oan to put down this drunkonnoss whioh is mining our young mon, Thoro is not ono in Dunodin, il he chooses to inquiro, but oan point to somo ono who has boon dostroyod by this ovil, and it thoroforo bohovos ovoryono who , has tho fooling of manhood to do what ho ] onn to put undor this torriblo curso,-*-I (Applnuso,)