The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-08 00:00:00

THE NEW LICENSING ACT.

The new Licensing Act, which received the Royal
ascent on Thursday, contains 33 sections and one
schedule, and is to be construed as one Act with
the former, passed in 1872, or may be cited separately
as "The Licensing Act, 1874."
The operation of the statute as to the provisions re-
lating to the hours of closing and as to the repeal of
section 24 of the principal Act (the hours of closing)
will begin on the 10th if October next. The hours of
closing on and after the 10th of October within the
metropolitan district will be on Saturday night
from midnight until one o'clock in the afternoon
of the following Sunday, and on Sunday night
from eleven o'clock until five on the following
morning, and on all other days from half an hour after
midnight until five o'clock on the same morning. If
situate beyond the metropolitan district and in the
Metropolitan Police district or in a town or in a
populous place as defined by the Act, then the
hours of closing to be, on Saturday night from
eleven o'clock until half an hour after noon on
the following Sunday, and on Sunday night from
ten o'clock until six o'clock on the following
morrikg, and on the nights of all other days from
eleven o'clock until six o'clock on the following morn-
ing. If situate elsewhere than in the metropolitan
district, or the Metropolitan Police district, or such
town or populous place, then on Saturday night from
ten o'clock until half an hour after noon on the follow-
ing Sunday, and on Sunday night from ten o'clock
until aix o'clock on the following morning, and on the
nights of all other days, from ten o'clock until six
o'clock on the following morning. Such premises,
wherever situate, shall, save as provided, be dosed on
Sunday afternoon from three or hall-past two, accord-
ing as the hour of opening shall be one o'clock in
the afternoon or half an hour after noon until six
o'clock. The houses are to be closed on Christmas
Day and Good Friday as on Sundays, and as if the
preceding day was a Saturday. The exemption as to
houses near theatres is repealed. A grant of an order
of exemption under the 26th section may be made to
houses, and the grant of a licence undcr the 29th sec-
tion of the principal Act may be made to any person
licensed to sell beer or cider by retail to be (summed
upon the premises, as well as to any licensed victualler
T keeper of a refreshment house in which intoxicating
liquors are sold. Beyond the metropolitan district the
licensing justice may vary the hour of doming on
Sunday, Good Friday, and Christmas Day to one
o'clock on account of the public worship, and in such
case the house to be closed from three to six o'clock.
A month's notice of such an alteration is to be given.
As to "early closing licences," an application may
be made to close an hour earlier at night, and the
justices may insert the same in the licence, which
licence is to be granted on payment of six-sevenths of
the duty. A person who takes out a licence containing
conditions rendering such a licence a six days' licence
as well as an early-closing licence, shall be entitled to a
remission of two-sevenths of the duty.
For an infringement of the hours of closing, the
penalty for a first offence is not to exceed £lO, and for
a second £lO.
The law on " Bona.fide &eyelid's and lodgers" is
now amended. If the publican fails to prove that the
purchaser was a bona-fide traveller, but if the justices
are satisfied he believed he was, then the case is to be
dismissed, and the person making the false repre-
sentation may be proceeded against. Nothing in the
Act is to preclude a person licensed selling at any
time liquor to bona-fide travellers or to persons lodging
in his house. Nothing in the Act as to the hours of
of closing is to preclude the sale at any time at a rail-
way station of intoxicating liquors to persons arriving
at or departing from such station by railroad.
An alteration by the 11th section is made as to the
closing of night houses. Convictions are to be re-
corded on licenses, and where a licence is forfeit„!il
there is to be a temporary continuance until !he
session. Constables are to enter premises to enforce
the Act, and search-warrants may be granted for the
detection of liquors sold or kept contrary to law. Omit.
sional licebces may be granted where required at fairs
and races and an extension as to the hour of closing.
There are provisions as to provisional grants and confir-
mation of new licences. A person is not to be liable for
supplying liquor to private friends without charge. The
metropolitan district is defined to be the City'of London
or any place subject to the jurisdiction of the Metropoli-
tan Board of Works, or within an area contained in a
circle the radius of which is f our miles f rom Charing-cross.
A "town" is to contain 1,000 inhabitants, and a
"populous place" not less than 1,000. A licensing
committee before September 1 is to make orders as to
the same. The extent of the repeal of the former Act
is set forth, including the adulteration provisions from
19 to 22. Until October 10 the present hours of closing