The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-05 00:00:00

Maginnis,
McEl

.....cEwen, E. Stringer, H. Hughes, J. illlsop,
W. Platt, J. Sharman, and P. J. Brooks.
Mr. Sherrard said he had the honour of ap-
pearing before the Bench, to present memorial
praying that the Magistrates would not grant an
extension of time, and was as follows :
We, the undersigned being inhabitants of the town,
ship of Stonrbridge, or persons engaged in business
therein, beg respectfully to memorialise the Licensing
Justices of this district, respecting the hours of closing
public.houses in the township. It is our very decided
opinion that the closing of such houses at the hours fixed
by the Licensing Act, 1872, viz., eleven o'clock on week
days, and ten o'clock on Sunday night, has already borne
valuable fruit in the iuiprovement of social order and
, morals, and it is our strong belief that such improve'
mints would, under similar circtunstances, continue to
increase. Whilst believing that even earlier hours in
closing them would prove beneficial, those named would
be highly desirable.
" We beg to express an earnest hope that the Licensing
Justices will not extend the hours of closing beyond
those fixed by the new Act."
Here followed the names of upwards of one

thousand persona.
Mr. Sherrard said he had to apologise for the
non-attendance of Captain Walker, Mr. J. B.
Shepherd, and the Rev. Walter Keen, who were
unable to join in with the deputation. He
might say that the petition was signed by a
large number of working men, and that no coer-
cbm had been used to get them to sign, and that
they had met with very few refusals indeed.
The petition also included a great number of
business men, in various positions. The mo-
rality of the town, he believed, was much im-
proved since the public-houses had been closed
at eleven o'clock. He considered that there was
plenty of time for persons to get refreshments.
They could not make men virtuous by Act of
1 Parliament, but they might lessen the facilities
for increasing drunkenness. When they read
the several accounts of drunkenness in the vari-
ous newspapers, and the crimes committed
, through drunkenness, it was something revolt-
ing. He hoped the present legislation would
I abate it, and that the gentlemen now sitting
would accede to the prayer of the petition, and
not allow any extension of time more than was
, now given by the new Act of Parliament.
, Mr. Perry, nailmaster, of the Lye, also pre-
sented a petition which was as follows

-
" To THE LICENSING JUSTICES OP THIS DISTRICT.—
We, the undersigned inhabitance and householders of the
parish of the Lye, desire to express our opinion that the
closing of public-houses not later than 11 p.m., on week
days and 10 on Sundays, would be for the moral benefit
of this place."
Mr. Perry stated that the petition was signed
by 920 persons, which included eleven publicans,
being one-sixth of the publicans of the Lye dis-
trict.
Mr. W. H. King, Magistrates' Clerk, also read
the following report by Mr. Superintendent
Freeman
"To the Magistrates of the Stourbridge Division.
"Gentlemen.—' beg to state that since the passing of
the Act for regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors,
the state of this division has, by the passing of that Act,
been greatly improvei. We have less drunkenness, and,
comparatively, no night brawling in the streets of Stour-
bridge as was formerly the case before the passing of the
Act. When public-houses were allowed to be kept open
until midnight on a Saturday night it was impossible for
the police to clear the streets and get them is an orderly
state before two o'clock on a Sunday morning. Now,
under the new Act, the streets are quiet and orderly at
twelve o'clock, and often times before that hour. We
have had rather more drunken eaves before the Magis•
trate, since the passing of the Act, but this is not caustd
by any increase of drunkenness, but the extra vigilance
of the police in looking after drunkards in order to keep
down drunkenness as much as possible. I mast also add
that there has been no difficulty in getting the publicans
in this division to conform to the Act. Up to this time
there had not been any case of complaint against any one
of them.
" I am, Gentlemen,
"Yours most obediently,
" W. FREEMAN, Superintendent.
"Sept. 12th, 1872."
The Magistrates then retired into their pri-
vate room for a short time. On returning into
Court, Mr. Foley said the Bench had given their
best attention to the application made by Mr.
Perry, and they were unanimous in refusing the
application, and were determined to give the
new Act a trial, and their decision was that Bel-
broughton, Broom, Clent, Bagley, and Pedmore
licensed houses be closed at ten o'clock; Lye,
Wollaston. Wollescote and Stourbridge at eleven
o'clock. The time to commence in a month, and
that due notice would be given in the local
papers.
Mr. Sherrard and Mr. Maginnis thanked the
Magistrates for granting their prayer and re-
tired.
LICENSES GEANTED.—Mr. P. J. Brooks ap-
plied for a license to be granted to the Star Inn,
Oldswinford. After hearing the application the
Bench decided to grant it, if the house were
taken within three mouths.—Messrs. Joseph and
Charles Sharman, confectioners, applied for a
wine license to sell on the premises. Mr. John
Davis also applied to sell wine on the premises.
As there was some informality in the notice, the
application was adjourned for a month to enable
them to give the required notice.—Mr. W. H.
Penney, grocer, applied for a spirit license to
sell off the premises, which was granted.
Licenses were also granted to William Platt and
George Whitwell, High-street; and to Mr.
Frederick John Markham, of Cradley.—The
following licensed victuallers attended the Court
and were reprimanded by the Bench, they hav-
ing been convicted during the past year : John
Gardener, The Heath ; William Morris, Nag's
Head, New-street; Thomas Timmins, Wollas-
ton ; Samuel Siddaway, Lye Waste; John Ray,
The Heath; Ann Taylor, the Crown Inn, Lye;
John George Howbottom, the Star and Anchor,
Coventry-street; James Taylor, Portobello.—
William Maybury, Blake-
down; David Robinson, Wollaston; George Bil-
lingham, The Lye; George Partridge, Two
Gates, Cradley ; John Morton, Angel-street;
Samuel Reynolds, Bagley.