The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-26 00:00:00

THE SUNDAY BEER BILL

Yesterday afternoon, a meeting of the committee
the Licensed Vitalisation' Defence Assodation was held
the altos., 104, Fleet-street, for the purpose of considering
what steps should be taken, it order to support Mr. Berke-
ley in his motion (for this evening) for • select committee
to inquire into the working of the Sunday Beer Bill during,
the time it has bun in operation.
Mr. B. Foams, president of the association, occupied the
chair. In addition to the committee of management, there
were present :—Mr. Ridings and Mr. losbna, of Manches-
ter; Mr. Allen, of Bristol; with several other gentlem a
who have taken • warm interest in this much-dispited
question.
After considerable consultation, the committee repaired
to the lobby of the Rowe of Commons, sad had interviews
with the to lowing members :—The Attorney-Gemini, Sir
William Moleswurth, Sir William Clay, Sir Joseph Paxton,
Mr. Gore Langton, Mr. Ku Seymer, Mr. Villiers, Mr. W.
J. Fox, Mr. Otway, Mr. W. 8. Lindsay. Mr. klairrougb,
Mr. Scholefield, Mr. Brady, Mr. Wilson Patten. Mr. Wil-
kinson, Mr. Doneombe, Mr. Ansley Palate, Mr. Butler,
Mr. Footsie, Mr. Langton, Mr. G. F. Betkeley, Mr. John
Bright, Mr. Frankly., Mr. Cobbett, and Mr. Keogh.
The committee explained to the various members that
they believed the select committee would be the best mode
of placing their case fairly before the house with a view to
• total repeal of the Sunday Beer Act of last session, or
such an extensive modification as would be satisfactory to
the public and not injurious to the interests of the licensed
victuallers as • body. Mr. Foster and Mr. Span repre-
sented in a very forcible manner that the incensing/see suf-
fered by the public was beyond anything which hon. mem- IS
ben could possibly be aware of ; and, whatever certain ILL
parties might cinplate to the contrary, the fact was that
nearly 400,0t.0 signatures of bona fide adult individuals bad
been already transmitted to the Detain Association, and a so
very large addition was ready to be forwarded from various
towns in the provinces ; in fact, the greatest dissatisfaction at
at-
was manifebt wherever inquiry was made. Whilst the fa
licensed victuallers were endeavouring to obtain a repeal of
the measure, the public were not idle, although silent, as is
evinced by the readiness with which petitions were signed m
whenever an opportunity occurred. They were anxiously
watching the progress of the committees labours, eft
watching
it was not too much to aver that the fact
of the Defence Association being, recognised by at
the public as acting for them in this question fit,
had prevented such demonstrations u startled the metro. M.
peke on Sunday last. If an inquiry before • *elect corn-
mime was granted, the association could sufficiently it.
' establish, by the unimpeachable testimony of disinterested ix
witnesses, that the act was felt by the public at large to be 30
tyrannical, oppressive, and in utter defiance of thew wants el

and
Mr. Berkeley exit Mr. Villiers bad an interview with Sir
George Grey, the Home Secretary, whilst the committee of
the association were speaking to bon. members in the lobby, Ili
and Sir George awned them that the government would et.
oppose any alteration in the sot without the intervention St.
and reccmme edition of a select committee of that house,
and such a course was the only possible one to settle the wa
eireetion. It was intimated that a compromise might be Ms
obtained by the introduction of • clause in Lord Rrbat jr,
Grosvenor.* Sunday Trading Bill alteriug the time of open- 10
ing and closing on the afternoon of Sunday from five *
o'clock to eleven instead of from six o'clock to ten as at tk
preseat, and that Mr. T. Duncombe would move the inset.
Ito
tion of each clause when the bill came again before
the house. To this it was objected that Lord Robert g•
Grosvenor bad signified his intention of emphatically pro- IS
testing against any Interpolation clauses in his bill by second Ng,
patties; and further, that after the deci.ive demonstration
of the public in Hyde Park on Sunday last against the ;
Sunday Trading Bill, it was not likely to pass iato • law. II
Mr. FOSTER said that the licensed victuallers represented Nu
by the Defence Association were perfectly willing to sub. IS
mit their case to a eeieet committee, and to allow it to stand 30
St.
or fall upon its merits alone. 14
Mr. Allen, of Bristol ; Mr. Candid*, of Lancashire; Mr. s
Ingham and Mr. Ridings, of Manchester ; and Mr. Cooley, a
from Chatham, fully corroborated the statement of the St.
metropolitan representatives as to the dissatisfaction of the 21
public so far as their respective towns were concerned. The :06
result of the interview with hon. members was satisfactory et.
to the committee in all respect,. so
An adjournment then took place to Mr. Ager'e, the to
Rungerford Hotel, Rungerford Market, when another le
sitting of the committee was held ; Mr. Foam In the
chair.l!!
After some discussion the following resoluVon was unani. Z.
piously agreed to by the meeting : St.
Moved by Mr. Inoue*, of Manchester; and seconded by 10
Mr. Ala.'s, of Bristol That this meeting having due *
consideration to the convenience and necessities of the 7
public, as well u the interests of the trade, and after due sk
inquiry amongst the most influential members of so
client, is of opinion that any attempt to procure the repeal u
or modification of the Sunday Beer Act will be a totol
26
le
failure except by MUM of a committee of inquiry, which fa
will afforo • fair and proper investigation of its unsatisfac.
tory working, and will restore to the public those rights and so
liberties which are now invaded." ID
The committee then adjourned. so
to

ADMINISTRATIVB REFORM MEETING AT
BRIGHTON. ILI
5

Yesterday a meeting of the inhabitants of Brighton,
convened by Li-ut.-Colonel Fawcett, the mayor. in pur-
silence of a numerously-signed requisition, was held at the is
Town-ball to enable the inhabitants to express their opinion Bt.
on the question of administrative reform. The meeting was St-
attended by Admiral Sir George Pechell and Lord Alfred
'Hervey (the borough members), Dr. Hanson, Mr. J. G.
Bass, and Mr. Cordy Burrows (magistrates), Aldermen 30
Beeilham, Hallett, Alger, Burn, Sswyer,
The Mayon, in opening the proceedings, said that admi- 6
nistrative reform must begin with the constituenciee, and, St.
to secure a proper exercise of the franchise, they must hays It.
the ballot.
The meeting was addressed by Mr. John Lawrence, Mr. et.
C. Burrows, Mr. Bowen, Mr. Cobb, Dr. Hanson, Admiral Bia
Sir George Pechell, and Lord Alfred Hersey6o
A resolution strongly condemning the present system of
administering public affairs and insisting on the aeceasity
of an immediate reform in the managements of the various s
departments was unanimously adopted, as was also a Tote of to
thanks to Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Layard, and the press in 10

general.
Sir G. PICIIELL, in the course of his remarks, said that n
Leyard laid cleim to be the originator of the present ;p1
movement. The tory leaders put in a counter claim to the
to
same eG.ct, but it was the government of Lord John Russell St. ,1
who commenced the work of administrative reform by 81.1'
taking the patronage of the navy yards from members of
parliament. He (Sir George Nelsen) was quite prepared II
to give effect to all practical reforms, and to remove all ut
those who were inefficient, whether high or low. to
Lord A. lIIRVEY, while deprecating the introduction of
t7+
any schemes with respect to the army and rem., which bad Pi,
not the sanction of the beat naval and military authorities, 11
said that he was willing to apply • preemies! remedy to all
Droved abuses. The movement for administrative reform to
had on former occasions been turned to the advantage of et.
men who sought only to serve their personal ambition, yet Gt.
he acknowledged there was an earnest wish on the part of a ei•
large body of the people to accomplish this reform. Re was tt•
ready to support any practical and well-mttured plan. 10
The meeting then broke up. 12S
Ss

Slit JOHN RENNIE, C.E., returned from Portugal
in the Madrid mail packet on Sunday last. Ile has been to
out to examine for the Portuguese government the seaports 1.0.11
of Portugal, and see what improvements can be made in
them. It It is understood that his opinion is that the ameliora-
tion of the bars of Oporto and Figuero would be attended
with very great expense, and that the only bar with which 5
anything can be done is that at Vienna. Me advisee the
POTtlignelle government to make Lisboa the commercial
centre, and to run a railway to Oporto.
Tun KNOW-NOTRINO DECLARATION ON SLAVERY.
The following resolutions respecting the slavery question
lia.e been adopted by the platform committee of the Know- et.
Nothing Convention at Philadelphia :—Rasoltr
red, that
a the e
American party, having arisen up on the ddespite of the opposition of the whig and democratic parties,
cannot be held in any manner responsible for the obnoxious St.'
acts or violated pledgi aof either ; that the systematic u
siltation of the slavery quetion by those parties has
elevated sectional hostility into a positive element of political 30
power, and brought our institutions into peril. It he,, U
i
therefore, become the imperative duty of the American 12i
party to interpose for the plume'therefore, or giving peace to the 1211
country and perpetuity to the Union; that, as experience 1,0
has shown, it is impassible to reconcile opinions so extreme AL
as those which asp aaaaa the disputants; and, as there
can be no dishonour in submitting to the laws,
the at.
National Council has deemed it the best guarantee of to
justice and of future peace to abide by and6i '
maintain the existing laws upon the subject of slavery, as
a final and conclusive settlement of that subject in spirit 60
and in substance. Resolved, that, regarding it the highest
duty to now these opinions, upon a subject so important, 109,
in distinct and unequivocal terms, it is hereby declared, u •I
the sense of this National Council, that Congress possesses
no power under the constitution to legislate upon the sub. 60
jest of slavery in the States, or to exclude any state from
winsission into the Union because its constitution does or be
doss not recogoim the institution of slavery se a part of the 26
social system, and expressly preternsitting any expression of iv
opinion upon the power of Congress to establish or pro
hibit slavery in any territory it is the sense of this National
Council that Congress ought not to legislate upon the @ab-
ject of slavery salt exists in the district of Colombia, and
that any interfeeenee of Congress with slavery, as it exists
in the said district, would be • violation of the spirit and in-
tendon of the compact by which the State of Maryland u
coded it to the United Rota, sod a broach of the national
faith.