§ MR. DODDI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether clubs at which alcoholic liquors are sold to members are exempt from the necessity of taking out licences in cases where the profits of such sales go to the individual proprietors of such clubs, or in cases where the club is under contract to take such liquors from individual vendors or brewers so as to be in effect a tied house; if such clubs are exempt, whether he is aware that such clubs compete seriously in many places with inns paying heavy Licence Duties; and whether he proposes to make any alteration in the matter?
§ THE CHANCELLOR or THE EXCHEQUER (Sir W. HARCOURT,) DerbyThere is not any exemption in favour of clubs from the Licence Duty payable in respect of the sale of intoxicating liquors under the conditions mentioned in the question. In any case, therefore, of a proprietary club at which the liquors supplied are the property of the proprietor and are sold by him to the members penalties are incurred, under the Licensing Acts and the Excise Acts, unless the proprietor is the holder of a licence authorising the sale; and where evidence of sale has been forthcoming there have been successful prosecutions in such cases.