The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-06-12 00:00:00

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

On Monday, at the Society of Arts, in London, the
Nrchirishop of York presided at a conference on the
general qiitatiobs of the laws relating to the liquor
!TOM. flit Chairman said that the object of the
urn. ting was to attempt to form a rational and sober
public opinion on the sot jests mailer titscUssion, so that
manething might be done to limit the monstrous evils
that flowed from th<, nucoutrollerl sale of drink.
Inc Rev H J Ellison, vise of Win •sir, then explained a
pl iii be proposed tor regulating the licensing p .wee. Harlot;
adduced tee opinions of Mr. Bruce .d Mr. GI rdatore
e.‘arding the resent 1108510, of the licensing system, and
the means by which Ps reform could be p muted, he pro-
ceeded to sty that he hot eil all those he was sthiressing would
aerte on the third suh.l.vision of the hint saijut tor 4115115
slow—namely, the Indict of giving owners amid ocenpiers .4
property sine pou e•• of veto in the licensing of pub' chin-es
and lweih 0000 ses. It hail been ntgrd that jheie reinses were
estalPtabed I. .r the public west Who, he asked were ;he
bet ledges .1 that so -11 unless the c • 1111 l molly in which
tress houses were situ .ted? If the power of vet" existed it
Yount be a reality, aid not a sham. Having referred to the
Liverpool Bill. as it wag called, of 1807, In wrouti it was
provided that It tiree-fourths of the poristdoners Were
..pmaa,l to the µranting .1 a llcetrce ii should be re-
al Sea, he continued to sketch the proviclons f the mea-
sure known as the P. rtni-sive Bill. While he war wil-
ling to pay the highest tribute to the promoters of that foes-
sore, he felt than- the diflicu tier in t•.e way of its becoming
law werersrtmneflne. Kn., it it wine pa, d through Portia-
merit the law and the people might be brought into collision,
at d the moth of that ahtason ism 'tight conduce to what be
might der lcliate new forms of ty. fanny. Hew a opposed t.,
intrusting the power of licentung to the magistrates Be
'poke with all Use deference in the presetice of the hon.
ne niber for Leeos Mr. &ones) when lie sad ta.t, in the
h .robgh to whi. h he had reirrreil the owners of
ptrttltc-
ht.thsrehad hero frequently Convicted, awl Mill the magtstrai es
I'm! not clo, up trio e Vanes. A stipeinliary magiatrate or •
amnions hart icier won d he liable tote Influenced, at least, to
• certain extent, by the clerk to the Jur titres or other officers
P. the • mat. Havimt ret, rred to the proprieals for giving
the liceuong power to a ielect coninottee of niagistrates or
to the guardians of the poor, he widressed linnielf to the
specific plan which he re• onotiended for adoption. lie pro-
pihed that a power .1 veto p..ssessed hy the people and the
pow. r ttt a liceosisit body sholit 1 lie ellll,l, 51.1 to control the
system of which lie was speaking. The licensing bdily
should const4 of, say, three or five persons. and their
powers would be to grant or refuse new licenses, to
renew or withhold old Mies, and to receive the reports of an
inspector appointed to examine the conduct of the esta-
bialtinents which he was con-idering. By this 111.6115
they would obtain a direct reflection of puhlic opinion
Poldic opinion iseS free MI all MIA eta at the present time,
and prwimmently to n the ind.jec before the meeting The
• lea its Of the 1ice..44 ii,, ly wimlll never 1.-C,ae a 'leanl
letter. Every year the wino'. ctuur,rrtt,tlity if &locality would
be broMait lad-e 5i Mee with the gas quest•titi for the tils-
cossion of which the conference had be. convened There
wets ii t he urged, any stronger ..pisaents of the increase
0, puolic and beer bowies than the publicans themselves,
and the we, kmg men of the country did not desire their ex
'elision. He hope i that the personal system of licenaing
woold be retained, no matter what changes might be made
It had been urged as all objection that if the reforms sug-
gested were adopted the owners of ex. sting pulalchinvel
*mad p.m.s a monopoly If these iiwiiers were mule re-
sp.malile by a pane om system if inlipeCtioli, that would be'
s- Me a good instead of an evil The rev. gentleman con-
cluded a very able and thousintful address by recommencing
that public opinion eh add begenmally evoked on the subject
of the licensing poser.
Mr E. Bathes. M P.. sail he liii not think the rev, gentle-
man abut ad preceoed hini was quite Justified in What be
said regarding Leeds. He hail heard of the case of the pro-
prietor if some public gardens who had heen hoed various
times by the magistrates, hilt in that cane the cause of offence
had been remov. U. He was nut, however, a. are of the cir-
cumstances to which the visas if With-or had referr. d. lie
felt that there wan.. body of men sof-pa:tidied by their weight
and stet' and by their decision anti Judo-hut Si' be inVeliteri
with the licensing power as the magistrate.. Returning to
the case of Leeds, he said that scarcely any new li ences were
grouted iti that borough. Every year softie slice 4u of these
licences were applied for, Ind they were go atrally-11 most
always reiused. He vow in striae °egree iii favour of public
influence being brought to bear on the que-tion tefii, the
conference Hoeing the power in the hands of thy Excise
had beet. universally condenmed.
Sir John hovering Miolight there WWI no body of men to
whom the licensibg power out d he less wisely intrusted than
them igirtrao 5 i I the until try , becau e they were influenced
by so inavy eauees. In many cases their decision was Mended
Olt what tiolit.meti said, and policeitimi s "pink,tis were in-
fluenced by the manner in wh ch they were treated by the
owner, of the public-houses. lie thought the interests of
Chloe who had power to grant 'ionic -s and those who applied
for theta ah- Mil be completely abalasoClated.
tie J. Gridlths, of •A'ale,, ape king fahm his experience In
own part of the country, contended that the magistrates
411 d riot knew anything of the Wanal Rua feelings of the
people among o hom they gran. d Beelines to owners of
piddle h.oises. They V 5311.1 the locality on seseion days, and
their returned to their Minton silibotit soy in. thor tub-et vation.
Sir flare urt Johitat -i.e. 31.1' , said he was greatly arrant
that, Sir Ii I selasin. Ibbetson's hill would not liecorne law
during the present 'tension of Parlament. He wan irilt
inn
favour of lea.ing the licensing power altogether in the hand.
IA the magistrates, who were Ili ur ails laces the mantra of
puhlichonses. He thonght that IS bony elected by tie aiiird
iii timerdtans should lie 0. binatureil to act with them Under
other circumstances suggest d he thousht that unnecessary
satiation would he excited every year. A maser Of Veto
wolall he obtained by tie interpolation of the body chosen
by the Board of Guardians
The Rev If S Hy said a man might he a very rideable
member of a Board of Guardians, mid nit a good administra-
tor of the tic -ming power Having referred to • prop 'salon
he himself had made sorne two years ago tif appointing Hine-
nary Magistral es, be prr.ceeried to give sme interesting
statistics reyaraing the humber of pinhic-houmss and beer-
h omen in London. He Said there were 10" id these places
in the metropolis altogether. These, if placed side by side,
woind reach a lensth of nearly 40 miles In Briciplene,
fietonal-green, them was Olie pabliC•iloUSe Or tweriabp
itit
every ten hotises in the street iii High-street, Whitechapel,
one for every eight; arid lbt Virginia-row, Bethnal-green, one
for every seven. Si ahy of these politic lo.uses and imerboules
adjoined chinch- s, the case of Kinrghtsbirrdge.
A ten some further discuasion, the Couferenee adjourned
for an hour. On the resumption of the sittings; Lord Lyt-
triton, who was called to the dude, said he dissented from
the provisiolis of the Permissive 811. Its hoped the ques-
tion considered toy the C• inference, wonlii engage the atten-
tion or Perinatal it nest Ses-lon iwrlr Seiwin- ill's Bill
ti-trig airapen•ory, it in is necellAny that public opinion on
the subject should be elicited.
At Slits stage Mr John doel Smith took the chair. Rev.
H. J E,lnooui then pi lipoSe.l—" That the licensing power
should he mmiiiltled to a licensing body apecialty elected
every year by the ratepayers in each die, rid, which will re-
peanut the public opinion of therm threct/y Interested lathe

govslioil•" This Prordosithm was an amended form id a res.-
lution in which the words 'owners of property' occurred.
Dr. Manning, who seconded the resolution, said that if
owners of property meant the ratepayers, he would agree to
the resolution, but not otherwise. lie thought that all the
influences, commercial, political and personal, which were
generally brought to bear on the licensing belies should be
completely destroyed. Those bodies elimild know the wants
of the people; they should he impirtial, and firm almost to
sternness. A liceteing body such as that proposed was
practicable muter certypiti conditions—when the interests at
present existing were brought under thelight of public opinion.
Working men, he continued. felt they were patronized by those
why had this matter in hand The working nien were those who
could best judge the neeil which existed if increasing the
number of public houses in their own localities. Providing
these houses for them vberioudy was certainly s .mething
like patronage. M.gistrates knew nothing of these things,
for tneir wives and chiiiiren were never led into crime and
tempt ,tion thiough the agency of the ptiblichouse. 'Co the
working classes, who were 111iita constituting the solid fabric
of society, the, should look I. a. intorinatom on this subject.
'Che too,t rev prelate resumed his seat aniid general
The resolu.ion having teen put to the meeting, was tumid-
MOthilv
Dr R. Martin, then Introduced the subject of a uniform
Ho nee for eh excisable liquors, before a very limited
au hence.
,rd Sidmouth and Mr. 11. T. Marsh having briefly ad-
dressed the emeereme, the Chairman (Nit John Abel Smith)
roc ni.tientied that as the subject was so important It should
be again considered, which suggestion was readily accepted.