Clubs Registration Bill (part two)

As I said in the frist part, the authorities seemd very keen on limiting entrance to clubs to mainly genuine members.

Hence the insistence on keeping an accurate list of members. That would make it easy to check, should the police come calling, who was entitled to be in the club and who wasn't.

"(2) The secretary or person delivering the copies aforesaid shall at the same time, out of the funds of the club, pay or remit to the registrar the sum of five shillings; and (3) Upon compliance with the foregoing provisions of this section, the registrar shall cause the club and the rules and the particulars relating to the club as set forth in the copies so delivered to him to be registered in a book (hereinafter referred to as ‘the register’), which he shall keep for that purpose. It is explained in Clause 8 that the constitution of a club means the “rules,” and it is provided that there shall be no departure from the registered rules. The secretary of each club is to keep a list of the members and honorary members, and these are to be distinguished. Then follow the penalties for contravention of the Act, Clause 12 enacting that the person responsible for the carrying out of the rules of a club might be summoned, and on conviction fined £5, or 20s. a day, if the offence was a continuing one. A sub-section provides that if a secretary should wilfully make default in complying with the provisions of the Act requiring him to enter, and keep entered, the names of members and honorary members of such club, and to correct such entries, and to make such returns to the registrar as by this Act are required, he shall be deemed guilty of an offence against the provisions of this Act, and shall upon conviction for every such offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding £5. A secretary or any other person delivering a document relating to a club to the registrar which is proved to be inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, is to be liable to a fine of £20, the penalties to be recoverable in a court of summary jurisdiction. Power is given to the justices to cancel a certificate of registration. An Inland Revenue officer is to have power to enter any club."
The Brewers' Guardian 1893, page 206.

The quite high fines are obviously intended as a deterrent. The last sentence removes one of the objections of brewers to clubs: them being outside the supervision of the law. With revenue officers allowed entry, that would come to an end.

There's yet more about membership restrictions. A temporary membership would, of course, be a way for a club to operate more like a pub.

"As regards the limitation in number of temporary members of the clubs clause 15 enacts: “No persons shall be allowed to become temporary members of a club, or be relieved of the payment of the regular entrance fee or subscription, except where the rules of the club provide for such cases and in accordance with such rules, and the number of such temporary or privileged members who shall be admitted to, or shall use the club at any one time, under conditions which admit of their being in the club during any of the hours in which licensed premises in the licensing district in which such club is situated are required by law to be closed, shall not exceed one twentieth part of the total number of the members of the club. Provided always that nothing in this Act shall prevent any club from admitting to all the privileges of membership the duly elected members of any other club during such time as their own club may be closed for alterations or repairs, or from some other temporary cause, or from allowing of the affiliation of members of other clubs in accordance with the rules of such clubs.” Before registering the rules of any club, the registrar must satisfy himself that the rules for the admission of visitors to such club are such as will not lead to the purposes of the Act being evaded."
The Brewers' Guardian 1893, pages 206 - 207.

The wording of the restriction of the number of temporary members is interesting: "during any of the hours in which licensed premises in the licensing district in which such club is situated are required by law to be closed". Basically when the pubs were closed. They really didn't want to let clubs operate like a pub.

The first bit of the next chunk looks like it's designed to stop people using clubs as an out of hours off-licence:

"Intoxicating liquors are to be consumed on the premises only, and the penalty fixed for contravention of the Act in this particular is £5 for every such offence. No person under the age of eighteen is to be a member or honorary member of any club. As regards the application of the fees and moneys remitted to the registrar under the Act, it is provided that (1) he shall retain thereout, for defraying expenses incurred by him and remunerating services rendered by him in performance of duties imposed upon him by this Act, so much thereof as shall from time to time be appointed or approved by the licensing justices of the licensing district in which it is the duty of such registrar to keep the register of licences by the Licensing Act, 1872, required to be kept ; and (2) he shall pay the balance thereof to the treasurer of the county, riding, division, liberty, city, borough, or place for which such licensing justices act."
The Brewers' Guardian 1893, page 207.

It's slightly odd that under-18's weren't allowed to be members. Given that the drinking age was 13 at the time.

I wonder how much dosh the registrar ever handed over to the local authority? Bugger all would be my bet.