§ Mr. MOLESasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can give a Return showing the number of illicit stills seized
— Quantity of illicit spirits seized. No. of illicit stills seized, No. of prosecutions. No. of convictions. No. of dismissal. No. of persons committed to prison, Amount of lines imposed. Gals. £ Quarter ended 31 Mar., 1919 34 38 33 31 2 1 198 Quarter ended 30 June, 1919 126 65 95 85 10 8 933 Totals 160 103 128 116 12 6 1,131 Note.—The amount of fines imposed, as given above, represents the amount to which the penalties were mitigated by the magistrates at Petty Sessions, except in four cases in which the full penalty (—100) was imposed in each case, without mitigation.
All prosecutions for offences under the Illicit Distillation Act must be brought before the magistrates in Petty Sessions, and special legislation would have to be introduced in order to carry out the suggestion made in the last part of the question.