The Express.
London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

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THE BILLETING SYSTEM.

CATION OF LICENSED VICTUALLERS TO
LORD PANMURE.

Yesterday afternoon a deputation from the Bristol
Licensed Victimßen' Protection Society, cionsistiog of
Messrs. Mitchell (president), Wedge (treasurer), Allen and
Williams (committethies), had an Interview with Lord
Paean, at him lordahip's private residence, Belgrave-
square, for the purpose of calling attention to the grievances
suffered by limmesd vietuanen la connexion with the
yreanotgstent of bWetinc.
The Hon. H. Bealatatt. who 'streamed the deputation,
stated that the • •ilehd against the billeting system was
that of skis mad vlibmilers geseraSy. The magistrates
of the city of Bristol also Mated that the Indus of the
Land Transport Corps sal Militia from all parts of Ragland
had added say mash to the dlesunfert of the chimes, the
morality and twists* of the airy, and bore very hard upon
the licensed lefelennore sad beemellers. He (Kr. Berkeley)
thought that whoa bb kidahlp had hunt the statement of
the deputation he would artaiess that their ease wee well
deeerviag prompt sturideestien.
Mr. llietnaths then read a memorial, which had been
adopted at a pubNe meeting of the Bristol trade, which
mated that of the 4,000 men belonging to the Lend
ppoort Corps, statiesed at Bristol, only oboes 000 were is
the renteledu beim* billeted at the houses of
licensed victualler. ; that may of these men being of the
lowest rank is kb, ware la a elate not a be described; that
the official return of the billet master of the tiff showed,
from the lith August to the 30th November, sme Isla than
13,163 Lead Transports and 3,344 other **ldiom had had
billets betted to them, and that the system, in addition to ite
pressure upon the Amused victuallers, wee dangerously
demoralising to the sees. That the memorialise, hat
learned with dismay that another body of 6,000 of then
seen, is additioe to some militia reginvnte, was abort to be
billeted is the city. Fleetly, the memorial averted that
large barracks at Exeter and other places were wholly un-
occupied, while in Bristol itself there were many empty
bails capable of affording barrack aosommodation
easily and cheaply, so as at once to relieve the memorialists
and place the men under proper military control, which
at reseal wee impossible, u had bees stated by the
military odious is command. The memorialists, therefore,
prayed for esualeatioa into and redress of their grievance.
Lord PA:envie said be observed the memorial stated that
13,000 men of the Land Transport Corps had been billeted
in Bristol ; but as not more than about one-third of that
number of men had bees raised, be supposed there must be
some mistake in the emu tioa.
Mr. Mrreasti replied that they meant, not the number
of men actually billeted upon them, but the number of
billets tented, most at the men having received five or six
billets.
Lord Punter's—Yee, I see. Yon mean that here are
A, B, C, D, licensed vietaallen, and that a certain number
of men are billeted epos kier a limited time, sad then
diodsed moveds-

on to B, and afterwards from B to C, and so on.
Mr. Mrroxim. said that was the real mote of the case.
They did not object to oressionally billeting troops in routs,
►ut thought it lad never beea the intention of parliament
to inflict permanent bill.ting upon them.
Lord PAIMOILE wished to hoar what Mr. Wedge lad to
say upon the subject.
Mr. WADOB mid that the general opinion was that the
present mode was very hard and injurious to the trade,
especially emaidering the heavy mass levied on the licensed
vietualler, and he therefore trusted his lordship would give
the matter his most serious attention, and that his lordship
would prevent the named victuallers being called opus to act
as barrack-masters. He really considered it very bard for these
bad and vicious men to be placed in »veritable men's
houses, for whose wives and daughter'. Ms they had so

reelect.
Lord Paintrin admitted that there was a deal of hard-
ship is the ease made out by the deputation, and that it had
aleuly never bean the intention of the legislature that
men embodied for active service should be permanently
billeted spa. licensed victuallers; but the govern-
ment had beet compelled to adopt that ours* in
the present instance. Bristol was ono of the
depots, and its convenience as a sea port town, when*,
themes embarked, wee one reason why it had been chosen
as a statics for the Lead Transport Corps. The fault rested
not so much with the government as with (onset With-
math, who, after last war, through motives of economy,
hod caused the misting barracks to be destroyed. As a
system, government sold no more do sway with billeting
than they could with flogging in the army ; but at the name
time they were very anxious to have men in barracks,
where they would be subject to proper military control,
sad no doubt the obsoxious eaten( to which the billeting
system was now carried would be considerably lessened, but
hugest be a work of time, as barracks could not be con-
stricted immediately.
Mr. WADOI said be knew of about twenty-five empty
buildings in Bristol that could be cheaply and speedily con-
verted into barracks.
Lord PiNIIIIRI replied that if Mr. Wedge would send
him a list of the buildings he refeed to through one of
the City members, one of the goverrrnment engineers should
be immediately seat down to inspect them, to see if they
were fit for the purpose.
Kr. Amax having celled his lordship's attention to
many coma hardship endured by licensed victuallers, in
consequence of not having sleeping accommodation when
mix or eight seen, as was often the ease, were quartered upon
them at • time,
Lord PANNURS said the attention of the government
had already been directed to the bartihipe inflicted by the
system in all localities, and especially Bristol, and that they
had mused huts sad barracks to be erected wb it was
in their power to do so ; but that, as to the general quer
lice, they wild not give up the power of casting a body
of men on se emsegenoy pe any part of the country they
might deem neesseary. He, however, assured the depute-
sloe that the neemerial should have his best attention, re-
peating his demise to be tarnished with the description and
locality of any place likely to be useful for conversion into
temporary barracks.
The deputation having thanked his lordship for the
courteous reception he had given them, then withdrew.