§ MR. WILLIAM JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, if he will now give the names of Members of the Royal Commission on the Liquor Traffic, and state the terms of reference to the Commission?
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, whether he is yet in a position to give the names of the Royal Commissioners on the Licensing Laws, and the terms of reference?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.Sir, in answer to my hon. Friend, I have to say that even now it is not in my power to make a complete statement on this subject to the House; but I have Her Majesty's gracious permission to give the terms of reference and the names of 23 out of the 24 Gentlemen who are to serve on the proposed Royal Commission. The terms of the reference are as follows:—
To inquire into the operation and administration of the laws relating to the sale of intoxicating liquors, and to examine and report on the proposals which may be made for amending the aforesaid laws in the public interest, due regard being had to the rights of individuals.The names of the 23 Commissioners which I am at liberty to announce are, in alphabetical order—with the exception 523 of the Chairman, who is to be Lord Peel, late Speaker of this House—[Cheers] —as follows:—
- Mr. W. Allen, M.P.;
- Mr. W. S. Caine;
- Sir Charles Cameron;
- Rev. Canon Dickinson;
- Mr. Alexander Gordon;
- Mr. W. Graham;
- Mr. Grinling;
- Sir William Houldsworth, M.P.;
- Sir F. Seagar Hunt, M.P.;
- Mr. Hyslop;
- The Earl of Jersey;
- Mr. Andrew Johnston;
- The Bishop of London;
- Mr. Money-Wigram, M.P.;
- Mr. H. Roberts, M.P.;
- Mr. Riley Smith;
- Mr. C. Walker;
- Sir Algernon West;
- Mr. J. L. Wharton, M.P.;
- Mr. Whittaker, M.P.;
- Mr. S. Young, M.P.; and,
- Mr. Younger.
§ MR. W. JOHNSTONIs not Canon Dickinson, whose name the right hon. Gentleman has mentioned, Dean Dickinson?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYYes, Sir.
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENAs there are only two names given representing Ireland, and as I understand the O'Conor Don has refused to act, I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whom he proposes to put in that Gentleman's place?
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNOR (Liverpool, Scotland)Will the Inquiry be strictly confined to the licensing system of the United Kingdom, or will the Commission have power to inquire into the licensing laws of other countries, notably Canada and the United States?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI cannot, on the spur of the moment, extract from the list I have read the number of gentlemen who are Irishmen, but if the hon. Gentleman looks at the list to-morrow he will see that I have endeavoured to fairly repre- 524 sent all interests and all parts of the country. ["Hear, hear!"] As to the Question of the hon. Member for the Scotland Division of Liverpool, I have to say that the work of the Commission will, no doubt, be strictly confined by the terms of their reference. I conceive, however, that there is nothing in the reference which I have read which will preclude the Commission from making any such inquiries into the systems in operation abroad which will throw light on the system in operation in this country.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORThere is the system of Scandinavia, which is very well worth consideration.
MR. P. O'BRIENIf, as the right hon. Gentleman says, the list is incomplete, I would ask does he intend to take any more names from Ireland? He has only named two representatives of Ireland — Dean Dickinson and Mr. Young. Will he increase that number?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI have given the House all the information at my disposal, and I have gone far beyond ordinary precedent in being allowed to give the names of an incomplete Commission. [" Hear, hear!"]