The National Register. — London, England, 1818-02-01 00:00:00

TOEB. 1 BREIVERS' MONOPOLY. On Monday last a tecttim took place ni the Crown and Audiur Cavern, uputt this important subject, Sir Henry Wi•- abn,lie Chair. In opening the business of the Nfeeting, Sir Henry briedi dwelt upon the hardships which the poorer classes endure .1 from the advance mane i i the price of Porter. lie trusted, that as the Brewers 11,111, the reputation of being Itonottraoe meu they wutild nut permit a to go forth that tie are capable of nets of oppression, taut uy theasee ves or their agents come forward itod state upuu iv iii :pond.' they haul suede tee present advance. Mr. D. - nry (a B ewer) strongly animadverted upon the injustice of attributing the advance to the monopoly of the lireveets. fie staled that there was a duty of ten siullitigs per barrel oil the eves, wisico Amounted to lid. per pot, then the malt duty aminta et! to 7-lotus of a penny per pot. There was also a heavy duty oil foreign hops, which emu:tatted to a farthing on each put of beer, all which deducted from the price received by the Brewer froot the iota-Await, left him but threepence per put. But beside the mites on matt and hops, the Brewer had a variety (dottier taxes to pay, which greatly diminished its profits ; as the license for his brewiusepta, and various other charges under the head of taxes: and although the ilfdlit allowed by the Brewer to tile victualler was 2-; per scut, on his retail prices, yet great as that might seem he was conviuceil that victuallers, who were a luau indiostrioc+ body of men, could scarcely make a livelihood ftoin this profit, when all their other heavy expenses were deducted. Having thus shown,' he hoped, that the high price W . beer did not arise from what was called a monopoly of the Brewer*, but Irma the high price of their materials, and ihe weight of taxes trader which they Ltlwurea. In the article or tUreigu hops, to which they were obliged to result from the great scarcity, mei extreme high price tat the home community, there was an ad ditional duty of Is. Gil. per pound, which added one farthing per pot to the price of beer ; so that the Brewer was under the ueceseity of charging his prestut price fur the coanuodity be sold, or of ahautloning a business which would utherwise yield no profit. He wished also to set right sonic in accuracies which haul fellen from the chair respecting the re ductiou in the prices of malt. Previous to the first rise on porter lite molt Was raised from 31s. Sd. to eels. the quarter ; and now the average price is from ties. to SOs. the quarter; su that, so far from a reduction, there was as evident increase on the price. Mr. Beaumont said, that as the Gentleman who had just addressed the assembly had cow:laded without a 'notion, he would bring forward one fur their adoption. He had ac quainted himself with the luster' of Brewers and their prices for 2d years, but particularly ler the last few years; and be could prove that the business, as now carried on, was a roes plete monopoly to the exclusion oh' that fair competition which tuok place for the public advantage in every other article of consumption. He contended, that from a fair comparison of the prices of the present period_ compared with this time twelvemonth, there was a fell of Is. 2'l. per barrel in the ex. pence of tic:aerials ; anal the consequence was, the Brewer, instead of lowering. increased the commodity lice shillings per barrel. lie had taken considerable pains with this sub. ject, but, wishing to be as accerwe es possible, he had writ. ten down the result of his inquiries; and lie hoped the meet ine would pardon hi n , if he took the liberty of reading from a paper which he had prepared, the statemeut upon this subject. Mr. Beaumont then read the following statement, which furnishes so accurate and clear at view of the subject that we insert it entire:— " I have at various periods heard the brewers say, that their trade was not worth following. Now lam disposed to attach every rea sonable credit to the declarations of gentlemen of such eminence in tio - Aety. I will therefore wiinit what they say to be true, thus tar, that at certain times, when the market has run high, they tin their humane co:aide:rand/I for the condition of the poor) forbore to race tnc price of beer, as they might justifiably i1.1V4 done; they made no profit; td y even suit:rod loss; and that tieir teak at those rinses was not worth folio. tag ; but when they did determine ou toe Step, at ad units so reluebuitly taken by them, of raisin; use price, they would not themselva lix a losing pri:e—fur the fuss of a shilling or two per barrel, continued fur years upon their great return. would be ruinous. wouid be too great a sacrifice to •vi k k.ct from tne punlic spirit of any men. I requen my hearers to consiae. well the farness, or otherwise, of this conclusion, irixause iuned of the subsequent reasoning is built upon it. Ileierring back, 'lien:foie, to the prices per barrel, just quoted, ant which are seen to lie, inane case, a lime under the market price of the nominal quantity or the nu:uival material, and in °Met cases, a little uotive it, we may came to an inference, Sisal the market price of time nominal qttentiea, and of the duty, is sudicient fcr tile selling price of tae inanumeturel rtticles, as it dad oven guile of late years. 1 UI.IIK 11115 Is fair reasoning upon their own data; but let one. two, or tunic atolltngs be added to tile market price of the professed materials, as a neces sary surplus of char,4e per barrel. 1 have no odjeetiou to it. Let then have 3s. and fey wilt nave more %rum me) , nal iu several years, viz, in lilt:, its lsuo, in 1850, in loft, and in 1813. 1. will then follow resat the surplus dilferentv uvunti sari 3s. will o, an extra prolin to Lie Brewer, unless, indeed, iie has proportiodisok, added to the stre:igin of toe ore:, but the surplas ituferenee of time selling price of tue beer over mat of the material 11041 been in wad: years ilawnse, 18,. 341i1 Yu:. and upwards. If the steen;.;theunig of the quality had followed aueli an inciea.e. we .iht1:111., 1141'e tlel.l ita extract ut 10.11 t 101 stroag tau it would have glued our lips together in which cafe :nine would now be semett.—dot there 1145 b.:al no thins of the kind ; beer, gmeiauy spe.caing, for the last fifteen or twenty yis.es, 1144 ni 1 0:1 a u.upi.l aud vapid stream, WA.10411 any material variation. Thee eIL4:S, to surplus Into 11:1, 0.:L:111:11 caeca. Of ;:Nest to Lie Skewer, and wllr.i we Wander tiie i.mnease returns in Late trafe, tnat 100000 barrels in a year is by no means equal to tn. quantity urexed by %de prLiapal uu.ises; Lust in sue i u trade La of urvty ss. a 1./4fr..3 15 5.,1 acd that tile ad vance nu .oast y.:ate na, o.oa as inner' beyuni W.iat, :recording to eta:ea:l sao,vuk; and prices of their own fixing i; a suiii-ient plo.it, We :nay tea lily u,cuunt fu: tie princely fortunes willed nave *Lain matte iii this trade in a slOri ttov, and me j udi,d: of ill: co:vial:us of the he. ayanag classes, at whose expellee such firtunew are to sie.— Let us saw examine We :UL:riation, of toe price in u sn.eessive order, with u view of disc overini; time occult causes ut' their CllringeS. Fur a year previous to the first auvance. made by the Brewer. in 17u3, lid. per usxrel was the nominal surplus the 1.1'11:,:71,1. C 0,112 sae i.!.l,tent advance in 1804, tile appeirel sash to la amain., hi Ibvl, tile thiferenee was imam, tat is, Lie pro- Lased niat.rials cast more by 7d. per barrel, than t'ie be..r widen rii.ide was -mil tor, The indterials wcaine cheaper Ya per ca.; u?on wench time dre.vers in tang iJoi,:lvd melt pace I t per .ent, and rnade t _ tiepins 7s. nd. ; CMS v,Ys ttk.:ll 30 kindly shy' the v . :at in less tian tint: mantas (tile ma a ell an Lit, whole dowering from ei .0 :a) noun the redaction of 4s. it: time inatenali, me Crew e*: rated Lear prices foe imiterials saner item ; the beer was raced final tf6s. to 455. but a Cilill4Nl W 45 yet wanting.— In July, 111.115, there was a rlieOL La. in the inatec,al ,, , tioy still man.; o under time last prie.:., wiled tie barrel was at .15.4 and unikr tae prize in 1D.% when Lae barrel teas 3 , 15. ; hailer !nese eireuinitances cm elwapne a in - inateriats. toe price to tile poe ia! we, raised , to 455. 1. charred — in other wants. beer wag raiied to 5,1 . pc: pot, w hile Use malt, hei a and duty, collectively were less than tney were in 1799 'NI E ti 1; !ZEGISTER. when beer ,vita eold fur threepence hilfpently per pot I An excess of thee loth-pence per pot over forinte eroilts, and be it :deny' hoze in mind, met adzl /ale.; of it single lulfliewee gives 30,001. to the lirew t ts of gnetao barrels. At till period, the Brewers were far inure miut ante than no.v. Tney (sand by experience that they bad only to fie a price, end the public su.d pay it. Upon a small ads VaLlt;:t ! a in.! U.1.1/.1i414, reieett their ruin: two steps at once. troll 51. to Gd, per pat, the bare at the same time being meet wretched. tl pun tads orewere was in:netted, when ine.Breeere drew in their horns, aid went back lanitatiy from nil. to 3d. neetitioa died t:te pitblicgreut service: it caned tne ilu ,:ay of tite beer to be inendal, and the priest to be kept dean, wads the Inelenel ros Y; nOr did tile Brewers hen venture to raise their prices for .nut yeas. This esteblislimeiti tarove for some time; but, as n mid, twin to inienseagement to many disadvantages arising from the iloitilny and per of tee Brewers; to their ettetirdiens inlov ring Oedema:h leaving then fur other breweries where they nugnt expeet a better protection in their licenses, and, above all, to their being obliged from tee public nature of their account:, to adhere to untie and hops only, they tetee net been pronteroue. :e next in creeee was made in lat 3. It only a surplus ililftrenee of old between the price of tie iunerial anti of beer wren made.— Tat value of the miterials incrust till Ing:ier,und tae Brewers kind it noce4sury to make a Atill farther increase lit Jan. tete. The prize was now raised to its ugliest pitch, biz. to the price we now are called upon to pay, but the int.reasA price wily left the brewers a surplus of on nil. abuse the market pace of the material. Soon, however. the material dropped is price ; not an the primal beer. The beeverre were (FA nU•V in desirous of disturbin J the settled order of 'bingo. 'Their surplus rose to nearly 20. i. per barrel. Mr. Vansittatt, I. think it was, hereupon complained in the House of Coalitions of the un reasanable erica of the Bni:Veri, when %Vhitbrtad replied, • that they (the brewers) had coaferred, and lied deteriniued nut to lower tie price, but to lure:Lie the quality. Before the next bitting of Padiatnent. however, they thought proper to take off a heltneuny per pot, reducing the surplus, which had been eighteen suuUiugs aid three halfpence to the yet lar e surplus of fourteen shillings and dvepencesliellpenn. The nest year they took oft' ano ther halfpenny. In tile succeeding year, Inn, the price of the ma terials [lie, and upon this, stiange to say, they reduced their beer another farthing. The reason that could induce thee gentlemen, after coatinuneg their price at 15ii. fur a year and a half, upon the ' rise of their materials, to lower their price to 40s. is quite inexplica ble; unless, indeed, the invenigatioue of the Police Committee, thee becomirg public, hastened the decision. Sioce thee there has been two steps of inerea,e of prizes, both in materiaLe turd in beer ; but, since the rise in January last year, the price of materials has ' lessened ; the amount of nalt, hops, and duty, is Is. 2d. per barrel less than it was lest year. Now, whet is done upon this degree of expense? The barrel. of beer is raised 55., the quart has raised from liveperice-halipenny to sixpence. The materials now amown to no more than lorty live shillings and livepence-halfpenny per barnd, and the price to the consumer is raised equal to the highest price charged during the war, wi t en the war malt tax was on, and the priceof toe materials was 525. 6d. seven shillings inure than at po int': but let us view the effect of this rise in the aggregate, not that the prod' now exacted is half so excesseye as others in former years, in 1803,1811, and 11114, fur instance. First, I think we may fairly assume, that the Brewers Lilt year, dal not fix a price to carry on a losing trade, and the expellees have shim been leseening. I know that large sums were given by the Brewers during that year for steins in licensed houses, that is, for the privilege of selling beer— anol. foe one station, 1,0001 for another, 1.5001. for a third, and so On—pretty stteng syintome that brewing thee commanded a profit woith haying. The Gs. 2d. per berrel surplus above last year's prices of materials given by the last rise may therefore be considered as au extra pro:it. We will first examine the effect of this on the trade of a single house. One house, deservedly popular. brewed 3.31 1 ,n0t barrels in (Stn. The extra prelim to that hotter upon one year's trade, therefore will give a sum of 10i,814L Ina. But the whole amount brewed by the eleven breweries, in the same year, was 1,446,038 barrels, upon which the extra profit give 445,861 L Is. ed. by fez, the )pr eter part of winch is extracted front the pockets of the labouring poor of the metropolis. A tine harvest truly I Without any particular exertion of intellect. without any risk, a few gentlemen, the heads of the eleven breweries, meet together, combine, and give the word fur nearly half a million sterling to be transferred from the pockets of tee poor. Mr. B. then proceeded to read abstracts front the different Acts of Parliament which had been passed in different periods of out history on the sub ject of brewing ; and it would be seen that all tine Acts were first in favour of the liberty of the people ; but that the Acts passed in modern times were directly of a contrary tendency. Au Act of . Henry 111. fixed the ( ; price of beer according to the price of barley.' An Act of the 23d of Edward 111. fixed tile assize id beer. In the reign of Edward IV. an Act was pawed for granting letters patent in ! favour of Brewers, who then acquired a monopoly eo offeneive to the subjects, and by which the extortions of Brewers became so great, that it was found necessary to abolish the patents that granted these monopolies. In the reign of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. Acts were pas eel against Brewers found conspiring to raise the price of beer ; and for such offences they were to be punished by A.-tinting ma the pil lory. leering one ear cut off, anti to be subject to perpetual infamy. In the reign of EdwardVl. an Act was passed to empower maeistratee to grin& licenees to publicans ; but that was done only the ti purpose of preventing the had and di .orderly behaviour winch prevailed in public-douses. James I. afterwartls granted letters patent to Brewers ; ins ion Cearlei del the same, and nude mein pay large so us of Infa my for the lieenees; but h,s object in doing this was only to put the money into his own exchequer. In those letters it wile witted, as one of tie meatus fur issuing them, teat the beer was too strong anti heady, and caused intoxication. (Loud laughter>. It se- nen teat this king iu his paternal solicitude for the heads of its eitneets—e solicitude which they did nut afterwards show for his head—{loud laughter and applause)—thought proper to as sign this as the reseon fur issuing his piste eta Atter dine in ItiLi, the trade beeline comeletele free earl open; beceme the oppreseto»s of former times could no longer be endured ; ant it was eot until tie reign of George 1.1. that the present system of licensing was adopted. Tne int.:titian and avowed object was to check thu disorderly prae• tiers that prevailed in public-houses. and it was enacted that licence should be granted ouly fur one year. at the expiration of wince tune the lice nsee:were to be renewed. It was this Act which laid the founda tion ef t tat moaopoly which nose exildeil, and rendered the fabric of u ternpiete. It gave jumes the power of sintiding. without appeal, who persists eaminl ontuin brewers; and conetituted little parcels of justices in every district, tile aueolute masters of the licensing trade. A Ire. trade exited at that time; the Brewers were very numerous; vast cap:eels were not aterumideted by individuals, and the growing evils of monueoly were not perceived. But during these last 30 years CI re being a vast increase of new houses in the metropolis, the Brewers were able to get po.weersion of almost all the public-house: and then the present monopoly be r Tan to be completed ; so that, at the present moment, the whole trade of brewing was conCL.ntrated in the nands of eleven greet brewers. It was noun. object now to go into a detail of all the oppressious which had risen of late years out of the present system ; because thr were to be found in the police reporte, and in reports of preceedin e s in courts of justice. all which were already before the public. It sacrist! by one proceeding in a court -f law, that a license had been taken away nom a publican, be • cause lie had voted for a particular candidate itt au election, in oppo sition to the will of thelicensing megietrate. And it would appear that misers had lest their housesooly t..r cisauging their Brews - Is, and otacen or syllipe beer at an -under prize. nuen men:Lena:seta were d ttihul in the peke,:-rerOrts ; and at this werreat persons might be founi:, in prawns and in workhouses, te .0 were ruined, and uoilged to retie shelter there, in CinliC.4ll:lll:2 of having beam tne,ntstij el eprieed 01 then licenses. Ile mad himself been in foreiea countries, and conrereal with several magistrates used vie to dives in too,e comma.; even he found that ro such arbitrary pawer as was now exercised in England existed. Any mart who had aufficient capital and a good character might brew and sell nt er. nnerh was the practice at CIL monient in France, Holland, and (war many. lie hut conv;:neel with several members of Parliainent u to the mode of gutting rid of this system of licensing bat Cie wholes apwared to be bal, that it could not be mended, for it %mold be nezessary to change the whole system in prineiple. Licens.s were granted for inuan.y innocent purposes, snub tea liennzn.4e to flour ones hair, a lirense to be married, &c. and all din.se were euity nn tainjil; but the licenses for selling beer were nut to be bad, except at the arbitrary will of aSA of inagistiates. Alive us they all r, m ,. t be to the imitriousnes. of tide system, they must not patiently down under it, particularly so, when if they knew wdat .rehatl seen the. numbers .hu hail been ruined and elnve.t to workhouses in con.Tapience of it. Was it tab.: endured, that a power should exist an. tuts day which hod barn folaidden hi the reigns of Edtvarn, of anti Charles? But he would rather siihind to the tvreen • of one Kiiig, than to the arbitrary despotism of same lovidreed. pert" tyrant.. The only i.e he had ever known in the preset.. Vstl..l of tic tibia:4 was, that it e.thibiteni adi -;Latinr picate erohra-y power. Orr a ,ero.aoiition tar taXiaan away Cie dawretioaaey psne.-E. th-y were called upon to consider the proper!' vr.dch was tin bilske with ens property, he sn'ornitted, they bud nothing to th... Even:y fitrtiirg of the capital wntich was laid oat was so expeni.ol, r with a crew to commanding trade right or wrong—(hut Brewer laid out a Imadred thousand paanils ka tionts, stn.:, an:other linudral thousand in trade, his object was to gain pro:i: bow ; and thui the public paid not ;Joao for a elccention malt .tad but for an infusion of lieenekts tracers).—lt was naturally awed, how a redress of these abuses was to be °Warded ? Bead:rutted that task would be au arduous one; but untie atone time hie w,.s aitisfaal that it teat nut a hopele-s one. It was true that tlie*e w4s a great phalanx of power and interest a;,-ainst them. but tar power of tire public was great also. They had nisi a tree press iii their favour ; and it wits but just to remark, that all the newspapers, of whatever political principles, wive:meet zealously end ably the. cause of the public on this sub j ect. rind joined in deprecating the system of the Brewers.—( Loud and repeated cheers).—Under all the circumstance: , lie repeated. that he thought their caw far from hopeless, and trusts that by one coimuon zeal, and by determined perseverance, they would have old beer and old prices. —(Cheers.)--In conclusion, foe Honourable Gentleman declared his intention to move the string of resolutions which he hail already published in some of the pub • he papers, in order that it inigiit not be supposed his intention was of an underhand or unfair dc-itniption. Hs then moved the first re solution. •• That high legal authorities have declared all monopolies to be against the ancient and fundamental laws of the realm. and injurious to the public ; first, by raiting the price of commodities ; second, by diminishing their quality ; third by impoverishing poor MialleaC turers." After Mr. Tilloch, str. Shalt,, Mr. Holmes. and Mr. Gird ler, hail generally addressed the meeting, Mr. Re.tutnotit'a Resolutions, which embodied the statements made in Ilia speech, were put and carried, and the meeting L.lO l INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF KING'S 4ENCH, THURSDAY. JAw.29. WILLIAM ASHFORD Vs ABRAHAM THORNTON, IN AN APPLAL UY MITIttotIL. The prisoner was put to the bar at o'Lloek, a more than usual concourse of spectators bcing assembled. At halrpast 10 Messrs. Clarke, Carney, Richardson, and Chitty. on behalf of the appellor. and 111eqsirs. Reader, Reynolds, and Tindal (the tatter for the first time), for the appellee, took their seats as usual. The whole Court soon after entered, Mr. Justice Bayley having previously sat to take minions ofcortrse. _ Lord Elleuborough called upon Mr. Clarke, who said that the appellor, William Ashford, was in Court, and was prepared toput itt his answer to the replication of the appellee. The fallowing demurrer wa, then handed by William Ashford to Mr. Le llktnc, Mauer of the Pleas ,ide of the Court IN THE XING'S BENCH, Thurnasy next after Is clAyb of Si. Hilary. in the snth. &c. _ WILLIAM ASHFORD V. ABRAHAM THORNTON. And the said Win. Ashford saith, ice. that the sail replication of the said Abraham Thornton to tile counterplea of him, the said Win. Ashford, is wholly insufficient in law to allow him, die sv•l Abra ham Thornton, to wage nis battle with hun, the said William Ash ford ; and that he, the said IVillwui Ashford, is not bound by the law of the land to answer the sr.mx replication, and this iie is able and ready to verify whatever the Court shall think lit, Lite. And therefore the said William Ashford p.ays judgment, and that the said Abraham Thornton may not be permitted to wage battle in this be halt with hint, the said William Ashford. WILLIAM > ASHFORD. Mr. Reader was then called upon by the Chiefiustiee Ile said that the joinder in demurrer was iweparing to avoid further delay. and would be immediately delivered in. Mr. Clar..e.—Then it only remains for the Court to appoint a time fur arguing the demurrer. By Ta,:s..lay his bide would be quite ready. Mr. Reader aiw no objection to that day. . . . . _ Lord Eilenbvrough.- - lt is 3ugfLveil tliat Tuesday is the great bail day, and one of the Jud7:•s will theretUre be ncees,arily ab,ent. Mr. Clarke.—Then, ti your Lordship pleases, we will name Fri day I.ortl Ellenborough Aid that Friday, Feb. 6, would probably suit all parties. Mr. Reader said, that there would be no paper books to be deli. vercd to the Judges. but it would be fit Cott their Lordships should be furnished with copies of all t, e proceedings. Lord Ellenborough answered, that they should be sent as early as poss:ble. Mr. Reader remarked. that it .3411 be necessary that the parties should att..nd. aid the Cotrt a.senaxi. Mr. Clarity--1 undernmrl that in this pmceeding the parties are not entitled to enpio, cf the documents ; if the adverse party will be so gao l as to di r e a t.ltar copies should be ta.ken, they clui but otherwise what we shall 0.3n1 to your ktalships would be merely es], /rte. Mr. Reader replied, that lie should most gladly assist the other side by funnslin:: them with copies. . -- Mr. Clarke prapased that each party should furrish copies of that part of the woe-eating, in which they were concerned. Mr. Juaue Itayley.—The ellor shoall make cut copies of his counteiplea, and the appellee of his replication. Nit.. !Latter and Mr. Clarke both titt.l their readiness to comply with this suggestion. • The prisoner and Wm. Ashdod were about to leave the Court, the former having actitally b...en taker: from the bar, when %Ir. Header desired that tney might r:turn.while the appellee delivered in his joinder in demurrer. Ti.ejomder in demurrer was then handed to Mr. Le Blanc, who observed, that it was not properly entitled. Mr. Tintlal said, that as it was delivered in by the party isstankr, it meal not be entitled at sal. It was reed as foiloivs:— " And the said Abraham Thornton said), that the said replication of hint, the said Abraham Tnorntoa, to the said eounterplee of Him, the said Wm. Aileottl, i n niaita.tr and for.n above pleuled, with the several matt...rs thercin contained, are prowl and sufficient matters to allow hint the seta Alms 'am 'Noniron, to wage ai., banle in tots ap peal with the F.a'd IVni. AsMOrd, and which replication, and t mat tees therciu contain:A. the said Abraham Toomtent is ready to verify ami prove, ai Court flay direct. Ile, therefore, prays judgment and that he may he permitted to wage his battle in bus aitißral, with him, the -aid Wm. Asnford.s - A ; Ax) --- na. t 7tocu. it at hal he.ra r til me pieties retiral. A new comedy wits road in the Green-room at D:;:ry Lanc Thcatro on Friday outing !wt.