§ MR. JOHN WILSON (Lanark, Govan)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that in the burgh of Dunbar a hotel proprietor failed to apply for a renewal of his licence from the magistrates who are the licensing authority in the burgh, and no certificate being granted he obtained a licence from the Inland Revenue; and, whether there is anything to prevent the magis 685 trates being habitually passed over, and application being made direct to the Inland Revenue Department?
§ * THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. GRAHAM MURRAY,) ButeshireThe Inland Revenue have no power to grant a hotel licence without a certificate from the licensing magistrates. In this case the hotel proprietor applied for a certificate, but he inadvertently omitted to lodge his application till some days after the time for so doing had expired, and the licensing magistrates were, therefore, unable to grant a certificate. They, however, endorsed and unanimously supported a memorial from the proprietor to the Board of Inland Revenue, praying to be allowed to carry on his business till he should have another opportunity of applying for a certificate; and the Board, considering that he had failed to obtain a certificate merely because of a technical objection to his application, instructed their officers not to interfere with him in carrying on his business till he should have an opportunity to make another application.