The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-22 00:00:00

THE LORDS' COMMITTEE ON
INTEMPERANCE.

There was issued on Tuesday the Report from the Select
Committee of the House of Lords, appointed in the Sessions
1878-9, "for the purpose of inquiring into the manner
of habits of Intemperance, and into the prevalence
which those habits have been affected by recent legisla-
tion, and other causes." The Committee state that
they have examined witnesses and extended their in-
quiries into England, Scotland, and Ireland, and their
Report, which is dated March 17, 1879, occupies more than
40 pages. The point of chief interest is the recommendation
by their lordships of Mr. Chamberlain's suggested modifica-
tion of the Gothenburg system, and whic-h is given at some
length.—The following is a summary of their lordships'
recommendations :

1. That legislative facilities should be afforded for
the local adoption of the Gothenburg and of Mr.
Chamberlain's schemes, or of some modification of
them.

2. That renewals of beerhouses, licensed before 1869,
should be placed on the same footing as those of public.
houses.
3. That in cases of decisions affecting the renewal of
licences, in boroughs having separate quarter sessions,
the appeal should be to the Recorder, where there is
such a functionary, and not as at present to the county
justices.
4. That it should be expressly enacted that justices
should be authorised to refuse transfers on the same
grounds of misconduct as those on which renewals of
licences are now refused.
5. That no removal of a licence from one house to
another should be sanctioned without giving to the in.
habitants of the locality to which the removal is pro-
posed the opportunity of stating their objections,
6. That no structural alterations of houses licensed
for drinking on the premises, having for their object
increased facilities for drinking, should be made with.
out the previous approval of the licensing authority.
7. That a considerable increase should be made in
licence duties. _ _ _ _

8. That on week days licensed houses in England
outside the metropolis should not be. open before
seven a.m., and that they should be closed one hour
earlier than at present in the evening.
9. That licensed houses in Scotland and Ireland
should be closed one hour earlier than at present on
week days.
10. That on Sundays licensed houses in the metro-
polis should be open from one to three p.m. for con-
sumption off the premises only, and for consumption
on the premises from Devon to olovon pm Thal in
other places in England they should be open srom
12.30 to 2.30 p.m. for consumption off the premises
only, and for Consumption on the premises from seven
to ten p.m. in populous places, and from seven to nine
p.m. in other places.
11. That it should be made clear that even if a
person professing to be a bond fide traveller has, on
the previous night, lodged outside the three-mile limit,
as defined by the Act, it still rests with the magis-
trates before whom his case may be brought to deter-
mine whether he is a bond fide traveller or not.
12. That justices should have discretionary power
of licensing music halls and dancing saloons in the
country, as at present in the metropolis, whether con-
nected with public-houses or not, and that all such
places should be subject to supervision by the police.
13. That certain serious offences, *mar as those con-
tained in the first category of the Act of 1872, should
entail the compulsory endorsement of the licence, and
that the treating of constables should be added to the
list of offences included in the second category.
14. That any person "having or keeping for sale"
any intoxicating liquor without a licence, should be
liable to penalties of the same description-and amount
as those under the existing law for " selling or for
exposing for sale," and that the powers of appre-
hension upon warrant in cases of illicit drinking,
as in the Glasgow Local Act, should be generally
applied.
15. That the entering of liquor under some other
name upon the bill of a shopkeeper holding a licence to
Fell off the premises, .should be an offence against the
licence punishable by immediate forfeiture.
16. That a list of convictions, kept by the justices
clerks, should be legal evidence of previous convic-
tions.
17. That all occasional licences to sell elsewhere than
on licepsed premises should be granted by two justices
at petty sessions assembled.
18. In Scotland, the Committee recommend that the
amount of fines and the terms of imprisonment should
be made, to follow those of the English Act, and be,
like them, progressive. That severer penalties should
be imposed, as in England, on persons drunk in charge
of horses, carriages, &c., and that publicans should be
made liable to the same penalties for harbouring
thieves, prostitutes, &c., as in England, under the
Prevention of Crimes Act.

19. That the recommendations of the Royal Corn.
mission of 1877, for Scotland, on grocers' licences,
should be adopted for Ireland, as far as they may be
applicable, and especially that spirits should be sold in
closed vessels only for minimum quantities. They also
recommend that a qualification of value should be
required for a public•fiouse licence.
20. That in Ireland, and in Scotland, as at present
in England, no spirits should be supplied to children
under 16 years of age.