§ MR. R. POWERasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he is aware that persons in Ireland who sell beer merely by retail, for which they pay a Licence Duty of £1 5s., have, in addition, to pay the sum of £3 6s. 1¾d. for a wholesale dealer's licence, which does not authorize the sale of less than four and a-half gallons, while retailers of beer in England are not required to take out this second licence; and, whether, in the next Revenue Bill, he will relieve Irish traders from paying for this extra licence in cases where it is not required?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GLADSTONE), in reply, said, that the Question was answered by him last year, and he probably could not do better than refer the hon. Member to the reply which was then given as to the details; and the real difficulty was this—that he did not think the hon. Member had quite accurately apprehended the difference of the law between England and Ireland, as to which the apparent inequality arose. It was not owing to any difference in the charge made by the Inland Revenue authorities; but to the fact that in England separate beer licences could be taken under the authority of the magistrates, whereas in Ireland they could not. The question of equalizing the law might be a proper subject for consideration, and in regard to that he should defer very much to the opinion of those connected with Ireland; but it was not a matter to be dealt with in a Revenue Bill, as the licences were not issued by the Revenue Department, but were under the control of the magistrates, and involved matters of police, &c, which it would not be suitable for the Revenue Department to deal with.