§ MR. M'LAGANasked the Lord Advocate, Whether it is competent for an Inspector of Poor in Scotland to hold a licence for the sale of intoxicating liquors?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)I cannot say that it is in law incompetent for an Inspector of Poor to hold a licence for the sale of intoxicating liquors; but it is plainly in the highest degree inexpedient that he should do so. Although the Board of Supervision cannot dismiss an Inspector on the ground of his holding a licence, they discourage the practice as far as they have power to do so. The cases in which licences are held by Inspectors are very few—I believe only four in Scotland—in two cases by innkeepers and in two cases by licensed grocers.