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Each time when a meeting is convened it will be notified in a paper as usual, and a direct notice will be sent to each of you. That is all the business, gentlemen, unless any of you wish to make any remarks.
Mr. G. Sharp-Would it be competent for the Justices assembled here to-day to say anything, or to put anything on record, in support of the remarks fallen from yourself as to the inadequacy of the present arrangements to secure sufficient knowledge of the character of the applicant?
Mr. Wodehouse-I think, gentlemen, it is competent for you to do anything you please at this meeting. The meeting is not yet closed, and it is competent for you to move any resolution or do anything you please.
Mr. G. Sharp-Might I move that the remarks of the Magistrate be brought to the notice of the Government? Don't you think that would be suitable?
Mr. C. S. Sharp-Gentlemen, we had better decide formally a resolution with regard to this application.
Mr. Wodehouse-I presume the application is unanimously rejected.
The meeting acquiesced..
Mr. Wicking-I would like to ask your Worship if an applicant who deliberately makes a false statement is not liable to some punishment?
Mr. Wodehouse-I am afraid he is not liable for conduct of that sort.
Mr. Wicking--Could he receive no punishment presuming he was sworn? Mr. Wodehouse-Even then. There is no power to swear him. He could not be put upon his oath. All that we can do is to call upon him to give sworn affidavits. If he had done that, then he might have been liable. I admit it is a most outrageous thing trying to defraud a body of gentlemen like the Justices in the way this man has treated us. Your time is valuable and you have no wish to meet here to consider applications of this sort. It is no business of ours to see that these pimps and parasites of the place shall obtain a living, and so far as we are concerned I wish that the Government would exercise their power to banish every one of them out of the Colony. They merely prey upon Society and are not of the slightest use in the place.
Mr. Murray Bain intimated he had great pleasure in seconding Mr. G. Sharp's resolution.
Mr. G. Sharp-That the Justices in meeting request the Magistrate to allow the opinions he has expressed upon the inadequacy of the present arrangements to secure adequate knowledge of the character of applicants for licences for the sale of intoxicating liquors. That these remarks of the Chairman be placed before the Government.
Mr. Murray Bain-I have great pleasure in seconding that.
Captain Superintendent May--I do not think that is where the shoe pinches. We know all about these people.
Mr. G. Sharp-Faced before the Government with the request that some further-
Captain Superintendent May-I think what you want is to ask the Government to rid the Colony of those people.
Mr. Murray Bain-You can easily do that. You can add, "With the view to ridding the Colony of such applicants as the one whose application has been rejected."
Captain Superintendent May-I have reason to believe that most of these people are being moved on from towns in other countries, and this is really becoming a dumping ground for the refuse of
other cities.
Mr. Wicking-Can they be deported ?
Mr. Wodehouse-I believe the Government has it in their power to deport them so long as they are not British born. I will undertake to bring this matter before the Government. I understand that it is your general wish that this matter should be brought forward, and that you are not particular about the wording of the resolution so long as your purpose is attained.
Mr. Murray Bain-Only it might be as well to add, “ With the view to ridding the Colony of such people as we have had experience of within the past week or two."
Mr. Wodehouse-Also with the view to obtaining some guarantee that the applicant is a man of good character and good standing.
This was all the business.