The National Register. — London, England, 1819-05-10 00:00:00

MAY 10. licences, It was signed by between two and three thousand Li censed Vic:tend!ere residing in the metropolis. Petition teed. and ordered to be printed. Mr. Ben Neer then, in pursuance of his notice, rose to move for leave to bi lag in a Bill for the better regulation of the se: awing of Licences to Publicans. The Committee, which had been appointed to enquire into this subject, had satisfied the llouae that no question could come before the flouse which more deeply affected the morals of the people, and more imperiously de mantled the coneideretian of the Houee.—(Hear !) As the Reports hwl long Main before the House, he would not fittigue them with travelling through the contents of such documents: he woold content linnet If with adverting to the law regarding the granting of Licences as it now stood. The principal law was that of the afith Geo. 11. ch. Se- That law for the first time gsve the power of annually renewing the Licences. Prior to that Feria! Licenses were not renewed annually; being once granted they continued till the poaseasure of them forfeited their Licences by bad cotideat or improeer demeanor. It is also required that applications should be supported by a certificate from the Cler gymen of the parish, the Parish Otficeri. etc. In some counties they would nut license where the signature of the Clergyman was wanting, and he could mention instances, where the Clergy men, front scruple of conscience, would sign no Petition so that between these two regulations. sometimes no licences at all could be obtained. In the metropolis the Clergymen generally signed the Certificates as a matter of course, receiving a small tee ; and t. sale of the Parieli Offieers also as regularly signed the Certifi cates, they likewise receiving fees. 'Thus u far as the really re coninientlatory character of the certificate was concerned. the law was in fact a dead letter. 011 applying for a new licence, the Act required that the application should be supported hr a certi ficate eihmed by tile Clergyman of the Parish in which the liiiiise was situated, a, well as by the Cliurchweidens. Ovenseere, &c. Ile proposed to amend this part of the law, by requiring the sit ?suture of the Clergyman, u majority of the Overseers, &c. be • bides eix parishioners ; or instead of the (Bikers, by twelve pa rishioners. And instead of requiring it from persons in the patch in which the house stood, the signatures should collie from persons of the parish in which die petitioner resided. Thin would niakethe recommendatory certificate really efficacious ; fur it was in evi dence tlea persons who had been deprived of their Licences on secoont of the badeharacter of the houses which they might pre viotrely have occupied, after removing possibly to the oppoeite side of the street only hail been licensed by another set of .Magis trates.--The rev-owns:nice: next claimed notice. Ai the Lew stood. the tUntlizancts were, the Publican to die annetn: of IN. i and two sureties n ree. each; but them recogniasoces were in tenet a were dead letter in town, as well as all over the country. The clerk held in his hand a paper. calling over names, the parties being in reality sureties for another ; and besiles there Wai no instsoce where these recognizances had been entreated. Ile proposed to increase the amount of the reoognisanexe, and to have the parties regularly sworn to the amount; in tact, to make the rocognisanceb real and effective in operation. Regarding another part of the mode in which Magistrates conducted themselves, he lamented to say that a practice had arisen of late years which was not warranted by any Act of Parliainent—namely, that ea taking away Licata* Anil of resuming them, without assimeing any reasen for such conduct, or appealing to any Jury or other power, hut Ilt the mere will evil plea:Aire of the magi-trate.... He did not wish to throw any slur ea the alagistrates—lie only complained of the practice which in operation produced most fatal armee quencea In the Metropolis it was particularly so. Evidence had been adduced, which shew,d dun licences were ideas away by Magistrates ea most vague and indefinite wounds indeed, it was shown, that the, had been recommended never to assign -my reasons for taking away licences. It hail therefore happened, that there were musty roses of persons, who, after having kept houses for years, with the approbation of Magistrates, and the r commendation of Clergymen, Parish Officers, eke. had been arbitrarily and suddenly deprived of their leicencee on some un specified ree-ons, possibly bounded in error or misrepresentation. But no reasons fix such deprivations, could be obtained ; and lie had ntanv well authenticated eases where these retinal, had take n place. where the parties had the reqaisite certiticates , rec. refu fusals that were frequently billowed by distress and ruin. There was another evil reaUltillfroln this practice which particularly skewed itself in Borough ! ' owns. It was cartial on to a greater extent than even lie had inieeined. 'Coward as he was to suspect Magistrates. &c. where electioneerilee matters came in their stay. In those Borough Towns this practice of arbitrarily taking away licences, where the possessors may have offended during comeeted elections was corruptly exert:Weil to IA amazing extent; and lie hid the countenance of *one very high law authorities fur de elating that this practice was not founded in the law of the land, certainly not in the Act in eviously mentioned. The Act requiring the annual renewing tit licences did hat give the Magistrate any additional power met: the Licences when they were once granted —their power was only ministerial alter the licence, had been granted; they were never judicial except where new Licences were to be grant...cf. The etith Geo. 11. lie intended should be repealed ; and to subetitute a gradual scale of penalties. The best and second complaints should be before the Magistrates, but the third should be sent to a Jury ; and they should be em powered to fine to the amount of tool. or to declare the Licence el./dated. According to the present practice, Licences were withdrawn on the lima vague and fanciful grounds; oci princi ples and motives that would be contemptible, but fur the mis• cl.iefs which ensued. it is object wag to give sena: little protection to the Publicans; to rescue them t becoming the victims of paltry and petty cepeice; to secure them against the repetition Of such mitifintune, he proposed that there shouil be an appeal against the decision of the Licensing Magistrates. It was his opinion that s u ch appeal should be to a Jury—but as this hind been heretofore objected to, on the ground that it would east a slur on the Magistrates, he now proposed that time appeal should he from the Licensing Magistrates to the Magistrates lam:inlaid in Quarter Sessions. Co this lie thought there could be no ob jection ; this could be casting no stain on the Magistracy ; er..l it would be giving protection where protection was wanting. Ile should also propo re, that where it was intended to apply for new Licences, three month, notice of such intention should be given ; and this would prevent parties from smuggling a licence. Ile aim proposal to introduce &clause, the object of which should be to cheek the system by which Brewers gut houses into their own hands, and confined theta in their own 'retie, nod he proposed to accomplish this end by rendering all contrects, made by Brewers with Publicans, binding them to take the articles sold (rani certain tinns, void, sitter a certain period. That the Brew ers hind ininienee numbers of houses, which they kept in their Own trade', was is notorious fact. In his (Mr. W.s) own neigh bourhood there was not one public house that did r.ot belong to Brewers. At tine place in the country thine were sixty-seven public houses, and nearly all of them were in the same condition. At Warrington there were I 7 or IS public bona:, ; about t t of them were in the hands of Brewers. In elaidetune there were about 4u public houses, nearly all of' them were in the hands of Brewers KIRI Distillers. By this system an artificial value was given to the 1101151.14 and the vending of particular people's goods was secured. whatever might be their quality.— The evil consequences of such a systems were known and felt. To the principle tit hie prorosed Rill lie thought eo one would object. Ile had endeavoured to m ee t mos t o f t h ose d eta il s now complained of; and if the principle of the Bill were not objected to, he trusted he should not want the co-operation of the !louse. heat) Ile concluded with moving for leave to bring in a NATIONAL IttGlSTtn. hill for the better regulation of the granting Lianas to ['Oilcans. Mr. BARN Fri' (of Rochester) and Mr. G. Larsn—both mse to second the Moduli, which was afterwards put and agreed to ; and Imre accordingly given to bring in such a Bill. The remaining buanms bung gone through, the Bourg; adjourned TIIURVTIAY, NAY 6. After snme routine but•iuems Mr. PC EL prearnted the Report of the Select Committee relating to the HANK AFFAIRS , a n d the prop, irt, of retaniiing Cash Papneirts I whit h t as read by the Clerk, after some converhstion as to the woosj, ) ,) of part. o f i t nut esirminl .1) the prehent hodeisthioling of Ow main puiuie. It ems of immense tenAtli l and uct owed neatly an hour and a tot f in the reading of d. The Report commeoced wish statioira that I lie first ohjt et or the llrouuittee %Vim to enquire What iononnt of notes the Bail:: h.Ol out, and wit it 111C11118 of pa) tog them sere WA • swede the amount of notes were found to he 33,831,0001.; to meet soca aliment s sucluditig Goversmient Securities, the Bank. produced means to the extent of 39,0 0.01) 1. and upwards. This left a suit of upwarni of 5,000,1601. its humor of the Bank, exclusive of what would he pnyable (14,000,00 M we !hulk) in toe event of resum log the Charter. It then whetted to the price of Bullion since 1797, and to the partial rC-.,,M114h0t of pas unlit in specie lit 1818, to meet *eta .to small too,. 1 ice millions and ut half in gold specie was thus netted Ina e.m 11117 and 1519, and further issue was rest ted ; lot it it as Mond iliac the gold cuts exported, and melted dawn 1.. y foreign countries. It next mratioiled the debts die to to Batik—the Acts on the subjet t —adding, (Hitt the repay torus sof tile sums liorrolied by GoVernotrist Wei,' micro:try 1 reptant tit y to the resumption of cash ILO'. 171 , 01§, 'l' lie amount of those advances was 0111• of the stun impediments to the resitinp. ion of cash payments, and the Ciimmittee, therefore, le: isaled sepay mem as one of the 1114q11111 to enable toe Batik to be prepare.) 10 rear a cash payments. Respecting the espediency of resuming cash p.tttwenls, the Report weal into lengthened detods itiferraig to 114C11111e1111 , 111 au appendix, and adding, that the issue of Batik Nuts had been reduced some millions. After a full comideration of the circutnitance--the debts due to the Bank—the price of Rohl )))) , &c. the t: iiiii Mater %tete deci dedly of opinion, that it was expedient 141 continue the restrict . beyond July s.—The 17,1E1 vim nits, when r.ush payments could be rent •J. The amount of speck to circulation before the *or was concluded In be 30,000,0 01. but all that 110111U111 had Wren exported.—lt was considered by Mr. Raring, &c. that fatty-her million pound* in Specie would be requisite to supply a metallic eircalietion—but all that 611111 would not be wanted at mice After noticing the inconveniences that had berm experienced in the Country by payments mid receipts to Cash, mie Batiker, Mr. Stuckey, stating that 'totes had been Imre, led. and it hail cost much In remit the specie to London ; and utter meat' • g the titans of other Countries to restore metallic for paper cur rency which advances the price of Bullion, it expreised the opinion that the ultimate complete resumption of Cush Pay ments must greatly depend oh site state of the ElChillyS.- ICir supply that the Bank could have would %O ire. if they were oblig ed to pay gold at the rate of 3/.17 5 . 10111. per moire, so loo: H. parties could ;:ttin 5 or 6 per cent. by tit. porting It. The excliunges wer, non sturtivourable, in con sequence of p...n i e lo.eign Maus $ but, however, unfavourable the exchanges might be, the C e saw no rea-on why payments should not he made at rates apprOtllllllllllA 1111 the Axed prices of gold. Tire C004441111Ce therefore proposed that there should he a gradual resumpt of pa) men ti ac cording to the following scales—Atter Felauur), 1520, till the following October, the Bank should pity bars of not less weight than 60 ox. us the rate of 41. Is. per nuttier 1 from October 18:0. till May 18t1„ at the sate of 3/. 16s. 6d. per miner; and utter May 1021, fir two or not execedin,; three sears, ut the old rate of 3/. 17s. By this plan, the sending bullion nut of the comm . ) nmild be reptile. ed un profitable; and the ;mimeos su C rendered gradual, which would prevent %oddest chains nil rnmrqueut alarm.— This they thought would remote oriier and hormone; and eventually a standArd would be established less variable than what had secently been known. On the subject of forgeries. the C tee did not coitellide that the temp tation to forge ...cid lie dinsiaisle dso limas as ;be Nudes were in 101 l t tavola ; but they could col 11111 l micate that the system which had berm lor some titne iu robluniplation would be ready to be acted upon in about three mutillis. That ssocill alibi pled hopes for being extensively useful, as it would especially give to the public a greater facility in de eetiog forgerics.—The Committee afterwards re commended the repeal of the law which prohibited the 'aperitif of coin, and made is a transportable offetice, because it promoted p. dory, and placed the ciolater of 'kr law in a sittiattott better than the test or 114 e y. The Report next Raves tril to the issues of Country Bank Note., the avers.ge agvecate uninout thong taken at Y 9 . 000.000/. Itl, iu conelasion, they admitted that it was difficult to norm lain the amount. Mr. PEEL moved, ihat the Report do lie upoo the table, and he printed. Mr. TIM:IVEY a;ked what projects the Chanrellor orrhe Eschewer r had to propose —whether he lied plate , I. sub mitto the Howie—and wheU..•r lit 51e.111.1 or tent re,ort The CHANCEI.I..)it or the I.". CIIIEQUk.R begged to de dine limiting any replies now mitt alostaiii fetid pre- Mr. Ttruvev said, RA Allell wall the CAM , . he now gave notice. that on Tuesday. the 1811 i instAut, mild wove that the tionse do resolve itself 11110 R Get ttttt titer " on the Stale of the Nation."—(Much Cheri ing.) Repntt ordered 10 he printed. %Ir. Peel °lose' ring, that it woußl be early in sit or sese t t nt eks. . . Lund A. li.t kivenn's motion te.peeting the Srateli Bittglis, being disposed or, the Ilottbe ailjuui tied at a late hour. FRIDAY. MAT 7. BANK AFFAIRS.—Mr. PEF.L cave notice, ►hat on Non• day, ;Ray 17, Iteshousld move that the 14111114 C resolve itself into a Committee to take into consideration the Report teapectine the Bank Reallietians, ate. The Home, on the tomtit'', of Lord Coadereach, waa orde►ed to adjourn to Monday neat at its . tit ; and it was also ue dered that Committers should sti with itliskaticl ink, any adjournment. ELECTION OATHS.—Mr. W. WILLIAMS moved the se cond trading of the Election Oaths' Hid, lhr ofjert of which was to prevent those practices which the House 1 47 had already declared to be illegal, that or Aplitting votes, and creating volts on the eve of an election. Mr. W. COVkTEhAIf was against the Bill altogether, • Ild moved, as see ameinisiteut, that it be read a second time thee day six month. Alf. see jeant OusLow warmly supported the Bill, after whit•le the House divided. 'Fleelirl% wee c—Fur amendment, 121—Agaiost, .10—Nlajeet ognio•t it, Sl. The House having resolved itself into a Committee of Supply, 1.0111 PALNIFRSTON brought forward the Army Esti mates. lei tile pi ogreva of his detad, his Lord'deep stated, that in the Artee at Home there sees s illiniMiti° o or 10,0. 0 men, but that the diminution in the whole toren was upward- of If ti,U. 0 ; the reduction in the expen diture, however, could lent be PO cleat some might ex. peel io heed it, as it would he remembered that a large portion of • force lead heretofore been paid out of the Fiend' collet ilentions. A. to the Ordnance Delia' Intent, the reduction these was considerable; the Finance Com mittee had estimated that it might be beouglet down to 280,000[.—its amount ass 180,0001. He concluded with moving a series of grants fur the service at corelingly.. - . Afier an e%lesitleil eueversaliou they Mote at 10; and list reutiamilig hossiuess lain; divuaed of, the ileum adjutheed w Alom.ey. AGRICULTURAL REPORT. In consequence of the general mild•tess of the wea ther, the clops are every IA here locking well ; a ti,u-r season for Barley and other Spring corn sowing was scarcely ever remembered. The quantity of rain that fell dioiog the month, without being too much to chill the Corn, has beers enough to keep the land in gol.ll order, and materially to beNeft the ponies, which air remarkably lull of lied. A great pronortion of tite , e mug be saved for inowitig. the layers fallirt% very far short of the usual breadth for hay; a sort of fatality arms to attend them, for of those which stir% iced the extreme drought of last year, many do not appear to grow, are thin of plant, and full of rubbish. There is a prodiaions show of blossom on fruit-trees of all kiwis, particularly pears, which were very scarce last year, but promise, unless destroyed by cold east winds, to make up for the deficiency this. Our 'tights }laic been frosty during the last week, but we hope no mate rial injury has becu occasioned. The IVlwats certainly have been benefitted by such a check, for they were get ting much too forward ; insomuch that numbers of farmers have heel obliged to mow off• the tops, to rev their being laid by the first rain that antabt fall ; in which case it is clear they-could cone to nothing ; and whether cutting them will ultimately du any gond, re mains to be proved. Store Bullocks are selling very hi g h ; not s► Sheep, which come to market to meat numbers. hut do not find !Alen ; they are lower by many shillings a head. The Artist? GENERAL Fund Sodely--This Society held is. fifth ataniversary at the Yreeassasorie Tavern nn Monday last. The Duke of Stissez presided over a company as reipectabk as it could possibly be, and no thing but the importance of the debate in she Howe of Commons could have prevented its being more tionie rout. The collection after dinner amounted to nearly 1000 f. Among the names we observed, the Earl of Bridgewater, IU guineas; ine Marquis of Lansdowne. 25 guineas; the Earl of Aberdeen 10 guineas; Earl Pomfret, WI.; the Lord Advocate Of Scotland, in gui neas; and UMW others. We stop not to notice the con viviality. the toasts, or the proceedings of the evening, but hasten to advert to a touch more important feet ; we mean the existence of another Society resembling this closely in name, but essentially differing from it in. the Artists' ttenevolent Fund, and we shall conclude by simply irriittoig out the difference between the two. The wilds of the latter are devoted exclusively to the relief of its owe MeMilelll. or their widows and orphans; while the funds of the Society, whose fifth anniversary we hare now the pleasure to record, are open to the demands of any artist in distress, Of in case of his death. are willingly made applicable to the relief of his widow or orphan.. The ditkreuce in point of liberality needs not a single observation, and we cannot do better than quote a few sentences from the declaratiou of the the .Irtists' GENERAL Fend Society. The Artists' licuirdent hind, estaWisltr.d qt IS lit, is exclusively applied to the relief of the widow, and et ph ails of a be in tit club, composed of a society 01.1 f WAS. tinder the iianie of tin Juba Stock lured Nlaity pta- Irons of art, and artists, were induced ill subscribe to this fund, tinder all imprrasiml . front its title, that they contributed to an institution fur the relief of art l yta gentrally.—The Artists' GENERAL Bentroleat iouti6e I to iBl4, has no stick limitation ; on exeltei , te belon; to any ; its tititol,ers con sist Gory Of benevolent fOihellibffS, Vflifilir of 1-, by 311 appeal to public liberality, to emend tel to all dis tressed artists, whose works arc known and esteemed by th e public. as weli as to the i r widow,' and nenhans erit and distress form the best and only claim to its benevolence. Lord Lauderdale has, we understand, strenuously urged an alteration of tLe Mint regulations, but what has been done we do not know. If the rela tive prices of gold and silver were propounded in the abstract, a man would certainly inti:r, that the silver would drive the gold out of circulation : but wo have the assertion of individuals possessing the ad vantage of personal experience, with sagacity and exactness of observation, that the Mint regulations have not and do not produce this acct. • • • , no. an uld oin F it ,he ing 'the to a the Mr. amp, b 4 it to. ill to thing xten ilcr it Fly to f 0:e more O, as ,and 3t" the ed.— 111;ar, moot, 'ublic ern It. great stem ; ppm', with ystern icle s urtive a Pe at: low re able in that nted • letnent atC hC declare I •crc gough. Lave pre given under bystem