The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-06-08 00:00:00

THREE MORE DEPUTATIONS.

• -- -
On Tuesday, the Earl of Kimberley received three
deputations at the Colonial office viz., the Wine
Association I.f I .ondon and the Pt winces ; the wine and
beer retailers of the metropolis and provincial towns ;
and, lastly, persons from towns in Lancashire and
Yorkshire, who claimed to represent the working men
in the manufacturing districts. The first named depu-
tation were concerned with what is known as the
grocers' interest, and they represented that, while
heartily concurring in the Government Bill, they
feared less rest ictions should be placed upon those who
sold wine and spirit in connexion with other things.
The Earl of Kimberley said the Duke of Richmond
proposed tt at grocers and others who sold wine and
spirit should have justices' licences, and be placed
under the same regulations as publicans; but this pro-
position the Government would resist to the utmost.
Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P., in introducing the second
deputation, said it represented the Metropolitan and
Provincial Association of Wine and Beer Retailers,
who desired certain amendinetita in the bill. Mr.
Wakerley (Manchester) asked that the endorsement of
certificates should be left to the discretion of the
magistrates, as the making it compulsory had is ten-
dency to confiscate their property. The Earl of
Kimberley said he could hold out no hope of
any alteration. The suggestion went to the prin-
op'e of the bill •, they had taken out a number of
r &neva, but they could not go further. As +n
serving liquor in standard measures, the law would
remain the same, except to measures over half a pint,
when it would be cr mpulsory to give imperial
measure. Anybody asking for a glass could not com-
plain if they did not get half a pint, but if they asked
tor half a pint it would be a fraud to give less than
the half pint. With regard to " illicit storing of
liquor," no penalty woad attach where it could he
proved that the liquor was for domestic use of the
publican, and the deputation would be placed on the
same footing with regard to closing as the licensed
victuallers. Mr. Cveman urged that teetotallers
should be disqualified from acting as justices for
Ik-erring purposes in the same way as brewers were at
present, and that a convicted publicau should have an
appeal to a jury. The Earl of Kimberley, in reply to
the first proposition, was afraid that would not be
sanctioned. With respect to the latter, a jury could
not be ti-toted, as they would be too lenient. It was
intended that the bill should come into operation as
soon as it passed.
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A deputation of provincial worldng men from the
towns of Manchester, Bolton, Blackbuin, Leeds, Stock-
port, and Sheffield was introduced by Mr. Sheridan
M.P., and Mr. Serjeaut Simon, LP. Mr. Sheridan
said the deputation desirol that the closing hour in
large towns and rural villages should be the same as in
the metropolis. It had been urged that London re.
quired the publichouses kept open longer than large
towns in the country, but he considered that the
manufacturing districts, where men worked by night
as well as by day, had a greater claim than the
metropolis to that provision. Several members of
the deputation having expressed their views, the
Earl of Kimbeiley, in reply, read extracts from
magistrates' letters in different towns, such as Man-
chester am! Leeds, who complained of the restriction
as to closing not being sufficiently severe. He be-
lieved that the majority of working men were favour-
able to the proposed restriction in that respect. He
disagreed with the deputation in thinking that it would
be a great hardship fir members of benefit and friendly
societies to be deprived of liquor after 11 o'clotk ; but
it was never intended that they should be turned out
of the publichoune at that hour. As to special trades
there Wag a clause to meet their convenience, and
should the magistrates not exercise the power, then it
would be the duty of the Government to step in and
sanction the opening of public-houses where necessary
for refreshing workmen engaged by, considerable
numbers in a "trade or calling." The deputation then
withdrew.