Illicit Distillation (Ireland) Act, 1831

Persons removing or carrying stills or spirits may be stopped by officer, and if they have no permit, or if spirits are illicitly distilled, shall forfeit 100l., together with stills and spirits, and may be arrested and taken before a justice.

25. It shall be lawful for any officer of excise to stop and detain any person who shall be found removing or carrying any still, still head, or worm, or any spirits of any kind whatever, and to examine such still, still head, or worm, or such spirits, and to ascertain whether such still is duly marked, and to ascertain the quantity, quality, sort, or kind, and the strength of such spirits, and to demand the production of the permit or permits accompanying such still, still head, or worm, or such spirits, if such spirits shall amount to a quantity for which a permit is by law required; and every person so found removing any still, still head, or worm, or any spirits which are by law required to be accompanied by a permit, who shall refuse to produce such permit or permits as aforesaid, on being required so to do by any officer of excise, or shall be found removing or carrying any still, still head, or worm, or such spirits, without a lawful permit, or shall be found removing or carrying, in any quantity whatsoever, any spirits which shall have been illegally distilled, or the duties whereon shall not have been paid, or any keg, cask, or vessel which shall have contained illicit spirits, shall for every such offence severally forfeit one hundred pounds each, subject to the mitigation hereafter mentioned; and the still, still head, or worm, or the spirits, so carrying and removing, together with the casks or vessels containing the same, or the casks, kegs, or vessels which shall have contained illicit spirits, shall be forfeited, and may be seized by any officer of excise; and every such officer is hereby authorized and required to stop, arrest, and detain every such person, and to convey him, together with the still, still head, or worm, or spirits, or keg, so found removing or carrying, before one or more of his Majesty’s justices of the peace residing near to the place where any such person shall be so stopped or arrested, to be dealt with as herein-after is directed.