Extra Facilities for Drinking

Extract

A misleading title. It is, I believe, the title of an Act of Parliament; but let it not be supposed that it stands for the convenience of thirsty citizens; on the contrary, it heralds danger for those who, licensed by law to trade in liquor, venture to make their premises more comfortable for their clients. Only recently a publican suffered under the Act because he had the temerity to remove wooden partitions so as to make a wall straight instead of alcoved; he suffered, not by being imprisoned or fined, but only by being prosecuted and forced to employ King’s Counsel to save his means of livelihood; for the Act ordains that structural alterations to a licensed house are illegal unless specially sanctioned by law.

The fact that the publican in question was not more drastically punished must have perturbed many of the decorous who read of his acquittal; but let them rest secure; the Law leaves little undone that may embarrass the publican in his nefarious trade.