Bureau of Prohibition Bureau of Prohibition The Bureau of Prohibition (or Prohibition Unit) was the federal law enforcement agency formed to enforce the National Prohibition Act of 1919, commonly known as the Volstead Act, which elaborated upon the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution regarding the prohibition of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. When it was first established in 1920, it was a unit of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. On April 1, 1927, it became an independent entity within the Department of the Treasury, changing its name from the Prohibition Unit to the Bureau of Prohibition. In 1930,
Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act 1931 Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act 1931 The Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act, 1931 (No. 37/1931) popularly called the Public Safety Act 1931, was an amendment to the Constitution of the Irish Free State which inserted Article 2A, empowering the Executive Council to declare a state of emergency during which most provisions of the constitution could be suspended and extra security measures taken. These measures included the use of a military tribunal (the Constitution (Special Powers) Tribunal) to try civilians for political crimes, granting extra powers of search and arrest to the Garda Síochána (police), and the prohibition of organisations deemed