§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of 468 Ireland whether his attention has been called to repeated violations of the licensing laws in Fermoy, county Cork; whether he is aware that John Murphy, the holder of a licence belonging to Messrs. Beamish and Crawford, of Cork, has been repeatedly fined; that he was summoned for an offence that, with two convictions endorsed on the licence, must have forfeited it; that the case was adjourned for six months in order that the licence might be transferred to his wife and the law evaded; that the licence was not transferred, and, on the case being heard, a fine was imposed; that on the 24th April last Murphy was again caught violating the law; that a summons was issued, but the case never heard; and, if so, whether it is proposed to give the police any assistance in their efforts to enforce the law.
(Answered by Mr. wyndham.) It is the fact that Murphy was twice convicted of offences which were endorsed on his licence, one dated 28th February, 1898, and the other 7th March, 1900. "On the 22nd March, 1902, he was again summoned for an offence under the Act.Had the justices at that time convicted him and endorsed the conviction, his licence would have been forfeited. Owing, however, to his extreme poverty, they adjourned the case till the 4th April, 1903, when they convicted him. But by that time five years had elapsed from the first endorsement, and its effect was thereby nullified. He was again summoned on the 24th April, 1904, but the case was adjourned for two months and is now pending. The Bench at Fermoy is an excellent Bench and gives every aid to the police in the enforcement of the law.