The Sun.
London, England, 1828-08-06 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

BOW-STREET.

HOTEL LICENSES.--To-day Mr. Blackmore attended as
solicitcir a for** liftifftiell, Ist .the Strand Hotel, and re-
moted libe:irpplicatimforlin Wel license, on the late Act,
forthekbpve I A.
co Sir itictr,Ann And Mr. MiNsttor.r. were on the
bench. ,is, i I.
SitH:--13iiii0tiatiR4nt security will you give that it
will not be convected into a gin-shop ?
Mr. Blackmore—Auy security your Worship may please
to impose on us.
Sir RICHARD-Wily, I have known it to have been
three or four different things within a year.
solicitor—l beg your pardon, your Worship.,
Sir RICHARD—Why, I don't speak from witnesses, but
from my own knowledge. -
Solieitor.—l beg your Worship's pardon, I shall be
sorry to say any thing against your personal knowledge,
but I speak from facts. •
Sir Iticriann.—Has it not been a grocer's shop within
these two years ?
Solicitor..—lt has not, your Worship. I have evidence
of clergymen, and most respectable gentlemen in the coun-
try, who have used it as an hotel for along time.
Sir RICHARD here
.left the bench, and returning at a
quarter past one, commenced the case.
Mr. Trewett, the Licensing Clerk, being present, Mr.
Blackmore presented the certificate on behalf of his
client. It was signed by the two Ministers, the Church-
wrrdens, and one Overseer of the parish, and many re-
spectable inhabitants, whose names Mr. Blackmore read
over. _ _ .

On arriving at the name of Young, Mr. Trewett ob-
served, that Mr. Young said he had signed it in error.
Mr. Blackmore replied, that some person had told Mr.
Young that it was intended to be opened as a gin shop. He
(Mr. Blackmore) then read the certificate, which stated
that Mr. Worinell was a man of sober, steady, and respect-
able habits, and in all respects a proper person to receive a
licence fur the Strand hotel.
Sir R. BIRNIE here read the recantation, which was
signed by several persons, whose names were also attached
to the certificate. It stated that they had inadvertently
signed the certificate without reflecting on what would be.'
the effect, and upon due consideration they found there were
abundance of licensed houses already, and withdrew their
signatures from the certificate.
Mr. Trewett then stated, that he had different memo-
rials
from members of the Licensed Victuallers' So-
ciety,
residing in the neighbourhood and parish of St.
Mary-le-Strand, against granting the licence to the Strand
hotel. He proceeded to read them, and the memorialists
stated that they had kept the different houses which they
then occupied for long periods of years ; they had laid out
large sums in purchasing and improving the property,
which had also cost them many years' personal labour and
attention. There had never been the slightest com-
plaint made, either to their Worships, or otherwise,
and they appealed to the justice of the Magistrates, to pro-
tect
their property, and refuse the license to Mr. Wormell,
who had never laid out such sums, or paid such personal
attention ; consequently he ought not to be put on the same
footing as themselves. They further. stated, that two
years ago Mr. Wormell opened the house in question as a
grocer's shop ; that he subsequently shut it up for a short
time, and then opened it under the title of the Somerset Cof-
fee-house and Reading-rooms, for the sale of liquid tea
and coffee, and that the title was altered to that of the New
Somerset Coffee-house, and that within the last three
mouths it had been called the Strand Hotel. They stated
that they were freeholders, had filled most of the parochial
offices, and consequently deserved protection.
Mr. Trewett here submitted, that under the late Act,
Mr. Wormell must place himself in the same situation in
applying for the license at present, as if he had made the
application at the last licensing day. In his opinion,
the Act of Parliament was intended—and he would
refer them to the second section of it—merely to
enable the Magistrates to grant licenses at other
times than on the usual licensing days. He then
proceeded to read the above clause, which ran thus—" and
whereas the usual day for licensing being now past," &c.
Ile continued to argue that it was merely for that purpose
the Act was intended. He then alluded to another part
of the Act, which, after stating that Magistrates should be j
empowered to grant licences, added, "if they shall so think
fit," those words, with the clause above referred to, places
applicants for licences in the same situation as before the
Act. He also represented,. that out of 2S houses on that
side the Strand, four were. licensed victuallers; that he
conceived, on that account, the Magistrates would have
refused the licence on the last licensing day, and contended
that Mr. •Wortnell, being in the same situation, could
not demand one.
Blackmore, for the applicant, then addressed the
Magistrates, Ile proceeded first to explain why the titles
had been altered. It was true that it had been a grocer's
' shop, and that as Mr. Wormell did not find it answer, he
closed it, and by the advice of country friends—many of
them of great respectability in Norfolk, of which county Mr.
W. was a native, he opened it under the title of the Somerset
coffee-house, for the accommodation of gentlemen and their
families. he had a wine-license under the Commissioners
of Excise, by whom alone he considered himself controulled.
He was however undeceived, by being convicted in penalties
for sale of it. Ile now defied Mr. Wormell's greatest enemy
to adduce a single instance of the house being miscon-
ducted. Such was the opinion entertained of his re-
gularity by the Commissioners of. the Excise, that when lie
applied for a renewal of his licenses, they assured him that
while he continued to conduct his house with thesame respec-
tability, no information should be received against him. Mr.
Blackmore then argued at length the right of Mr. Wormell
to be protected as well as the Licensed Victuallers, and
that the distinction was so great between the frequenters
of hotels and public-houses, that instead of being an in-
jury, it would he a benefit to the Licensed Victualler.
Sir 11. BritmE considered that the certificate had not
been drawn conformably to the Act of Parliament.
'Mr. Blackmore, however, proved by the Act, that it had
been, and gave a pledge that Me. -Wormell only intended
to open his house as a hotel—not'S'a gin-Shop.
Sir R. Brasat observed, that they could not grant a
conditional license.

After some further discussion, Mr. Blackmore pressed
Sir Richard Birnie to come to some decision upon the
question speedily, and not to keep it hanging over Mr.
Wormell's head, exposing him to the annoyance of uncer-
tainty, and to the more substantial annoyance of great ex-
pence.
.•

Sir RICUARD BIRNIE-What expeuce?
Mr. Blackmore—Why, Sir Richard, you can't suppose
that my attendance here costs nothing.—(A laugh. )—We
have our witnesses in readiness, and are prepared now to go
into the case.
Sir Rtcnann Mal:tr.—Credit and repute are better
witnesses than any number of servant!. No one doubts
that Osborne's hotel in the Adelphi is really air hotel. ..
Mr. Blackmore reminded him that 04b6rne's hotel was
in existence for 20 years, whilst his client's was not opened
until within the last two years, and that it could, there-
fore, not be so much in repute as Osborne's.
Mr. Wormell hoped that Sir Richard would not do any
thing which would break up his business and utterly ruin
him. .
Sir 'licitAnn B1111;1E—Don't mistake me; I am by no
means inimical to your application, nor have I as yet ex..
pressed a decided opinion one way or the other. I only.
wish' for delay, in order that we may make inquiry.
It' is the first application of the sort that has 'come
before us, and I ant therefore anxious that we should not
come to a hasty conclusion on the subject. Besides, I
should like, as Mr. Halls was present when the ap-
plication was first made, that he should also be pre.,
sent when it was to be decided upon. Mr. Halls will
be here on Saturday, and if all the parties attend at one
o'clock on that day, we,will finally dispose of the case.
The case was accordingly postponed to Saturday next.

The Earl of :AR RRDREN left town yesterday
afternoon for his seat at Stitninore.
Lady NOEL BYRoN and her interesting
daughter ADA, are making a sojourn at the Bush hotel;
Southsea..;—i3righton Guardian.
The Royal dinner party on Sunday, included
the buke. of DEVONSHIRE, the Alarquis and Marchioness
of.Doa,vrantar, and Lord
,and. Lady GAANVILLE—there
was, music in the evening,—Brighton Guardian. ,
It, has • been lately ..discovered that leethes
twice applied possess the property of communicatingto the
second.subject the disease of the first.' • - •
We understand that the hill near the, four-
inile stone at Eiminstei, which hai been so universally
coin Plained. of by 'travellers; is to be avoided by a neti.line
of road, immediately commenced through the
marshes, to join the old road near the Powdethatn" Stop
—. Gate.:Exeter Alfred: .
The importation of Irish labourers for 'the
•
hat4esi has commenred--yesterdly the Prolicsteamer
arrived at the Broontielaw from Belfast, with upwads of
300 of that deScription of passengers on board.—'Gkivow
Herald.
Some oats were sold last, week in this neigh-
bourhood at 15/. per aacre, supposed to _produce not. ex-
ceeding 12 bolls-per acre.... This, is certainly, much laidter
than :.we could have expected;:considering the qbundant
44 the AeltbOilso.2{4o*9le.a'clegicipli,