§ MR. HEALYasked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether the magistrates' certificate required by a publican on the annual renewal of his licence is a certificate to his "good character," and to the peaceable and orderly manner in which his house has been conducted, pursuant to s. 11, c. 89, of 17 and 18 Vic.; whether the magistrates are bound to grant such certificate unless evidence is offered to them on oath, proving that the applicant is not of good character, or that his house has not been conducted in a peaceable and orderly manner; whether there is any Law declaring a publican not to be of good character, and not conducting his house in a peaceable and orderly manner, if he refuses to hire cars to policemen; and, whether there is any Law compelling the hiring of cars to police by publicans who happen, independent of their public house business, to keep livery stables?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. LAW)Yes, Sir. The magistrates' certificate required is as stated in the question. The magistrates are bound to grant such certificate, unless they are satisfied by evidence on oath that the applicant is not of good character, or that his house has not been conducted in a peaceable and orderly manner. There is no statutory definition of the "good character" of a publican, or of what is meant by "his conducting his house in a peaceable and orderly manner." There is no law compelling publicans who keep cars for public hire to hire them to the constabularly; but if it appears that their refusal to do so is part of a concerted system for obstructing the due execution of the law, the magistrates may well regard such action as inconsistent with their claim to be of "good character," and refuse their certificates accordingly. I may add that the constabulary have been directed, in accordance with this view, to oppose the granting of certificates to such publicans.
§ MR. HEALYasked, whether the business of a car-keeper was not inconsistent with that of the keeper of a public-house?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. LAW)said, he did not see that the keeping of cars for hire was in any way inconsistent with keeping a public-house. Publicans kept cars for the convenience of bonâfide travellers, and, no doubt, one inducement to keeping them was that the people who hired them took refreshment.
§ MR. PARNELLasked, whether the right hon. and learned Gentleman would explain what connection there was between selling whisky over a counter and driving constables to an eviction?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. LAW), in reply, said, that a man could have only one character, and if it was bad as a livery stable-keeper it could not be good as a publican.