COLONEL WARING (Down, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the number of grocers' spirit licences, which the magistrates in Ireland have been compelled to grant, owing to the state of the Law, he will introduce a Measure assimilating the Law in regard to the granting of grocers' spirit licences to that of granting publicans' licences?
* MR. GERALD BALFOURI presume the hon. and gallant Member refers to the decision recently made in Ireland, whereby the publican's licences usually taken out by family grocers, to enable them to sell whisky in quantities between two quarts and two gallons, cannot be renewed where they have not carried on under it the bonâ fide business of a publican. The propriety of extending to Ireland the provisions of the law in England is under consideration, but I cannot give any undertaking to introduce legislation on the subject this Session.
MR. J. P. FARRELLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the practice of taking out these grocers' spirit licences is confined almost entirely to the city of Belfast?