§ Bill to exempt the Sale of Intoxicating Liquor in the Houses of Parliament from the Licensing Acts, ordered to be brought in by Lord Stanley, Mr. Kearley, Mr. Power, and Mr. William Redmond.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSON (Cumberland, Cockermouth)thought some explanation should be given of this Bill, and also of what was to be done as regarded the time that liquor was being sold, when, according to the Attorney General, its sale was illegal.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir RICHARD WEBSTER,) Isle of Wightsaid he would be glad to assist the hon. Baronet in anything that would promote temperance. If he would introduce a Bill to restrict the sale of liquor at the House to Members and their friends, this Bill would be unnecessary, or if he would introduce a Bill to prohibit the sale of liquor in the House the opinion of the House might be taken upon it. The Kitchen Committee having come to the conclusion that the present practice as to the sale of liquor within the precincts of the House was illegal, there was no alternative but to see that the proceedings of the House were in accordance with the law, and this Bill had been introduced to rectify the matter. As regarded the past, the whole time the hon. Baronet had been a Member of the House liquor had been supplied in the same way. Everyone was supposed to know the law, and the hon. Baronet could not be allowed to plead ignorance of it.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONsaid he did not know the sale of liquor at the House was illegal until last Session, when the Attorney General admitted it to be the case.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERALdeclined to be a party to any action as regarded the past, because it had been discovered that a change in the law was necessary. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ Bill presented and Read the First time; to be Read a Second time To-morrow, and to be printed.—[Bill 139.]
§ House adjourned at Five minutes before Six o'clock.