THE LIQUOR TRADE. 105 



licensed for the last year ; and desirous that you will reject in toto 

 all those persons whose names are now transmitted in a list 

 from the Governor, and who are ascertained to be unfit for 

 or unworthy of such indulgence ". l On receipt of this letter 

 Wentworth, who was at the time chairman of the Bench, wrote 

 to Judge- Advocate Wylde proposing that on this occasion the 

 latter should preside. 2 



Wylde acted upon the suggestion and laid down for the 

 assembled magistrates the principles of the English licensing 

 laws. In spite of Wentworth's opposition they decided on 

 putting these principles into practice, with the result " that the 

 number of licenses was greatly reduced, some of the most 

 respectable people did not obtain licenses, and those who had 

 purchased liquor and built houses in expectation of having 

 their licenses continued have suffered very great injury ". 3 



They inquired very thoroughly 4 into the situations and trade 

 of the parties, the accommodations and the local wants of the 

 town of Sydney, and adopted the two licensing statutes 2 Geo. 

 II., cap. 28, and 21 Geo. II., cap. 37 as their guiding lights. 

 They declared very firmly that they would " exercise no further 

 power as to granting licenses for the ensuing year after that 

 day ". 5 



Some of the former licensees and some new applicants were 

 apparently not fully aware of the new departure, and had not 

 sent in their applications in time. The Governor had frequently 

 given orders for the issue of licenses during the year, and they 

 relied on this. Several of them, to the number of fifteen, pre- 

 sented their memorials to the Judge-Advocate, who simply 

 quoted the law and refused to consider them. But with 

 Macquarie they were more successful. On the 4th March he 

 sent to the Bench orders directing that licenses be granted to 

 four of the applicants. Unfortunately the Judge- Advocate was 

 out of town. But there were license forms in blank signed by 



1 Campbell (Governor's Secretary) to Wentworth, nth February, 1820, Ap- 

 pendix to Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. 



2 He had only lately given up the chairmanship. 



3 Wentworth's Evidence to Bigge. See Appendix to Reports. R.O., MS. 



4 See J. A. Wylde to Wentworth, 7th March, 1810, Appendix. R.O., MS. 



5 They met on the igth February to grant the licenses. See J. A. Wylde to 

 Wentworth, 7th March, 1820, Appendix. R.O., MS. 



