§ *MR. LEIF JONES (Westmoreland,) ApplebyI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the proceedings at the Buxton brewster sessions on 9th February, when a provisional full licence for the sale of intoxicating liquors was granted to the secretary of the Buxton Garden Company, Limited, in respect of a building known as the Old Theatre; whether he is aware that the grant was 598 made by a narrow majority of the justices, in the face of opposition from Buxton residents, including property owners and licensed victuallers; that certain of the justices voting for the grant were until recently shareholders in the Buxton Garden Company, Limited; whether the justices declared that there was no monopoly value in the licence for which payment should be made by the applicant; whether the chairman of the bench on this occasion ceased to be a member of the company the day before he adjudicated, having transferred his 127 shares in the company to the magistrates' clerk who acted as magistrates' clerk while the case was heard; whether another of the justices acting also ceased to be a member of the company the day before the application was heard, having transferred into the name of his wife the twenty-one shares he held in the company: whether these justices had taken part in the meeting of shareholders of the company at which the question of applying for a licence was discussed, and the chairman had, before the application was made, pronounced strongly in public in favour of the grant of the licence; and whether, under these circumstances, he will take stops to prevent the confirmation of the licence.
§ *THE UNDER - SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. HERBERT SAMUEL,) Yorkshire, ClevelandThe Secretary of State asks me to say that he has no information as to this case, but he will make inquiries into the allegations contained in the Question. It cannot, however, in any event lie with him to take any action in regard to the confirmation of the licence. It is open to any person who opposed the grant and to no other person to oppose the confirmation.
§ *MR. LEIF JONESIf the statements in the Question are confirmed by the inquiries, will the attention of the Lord Chancellor be drawn to the action of these justices, who evidently formed a biassed tribunal?
§ *MR. HERBERT SAMUELWe must await the result of the inquiries before deciding upon the policy to be pursued.