The Express.
London, England, 1867-06-14 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 14, 1867.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

THE BUNDAY PUBLIC-HOUSE CLOSING BILL.

A meeting of licensed victuallers, convened by
the ehainseu and committee of the Licensed Victuallers'
Protection Society, was held yesterday at the London
Tavern, to consider the provisions of Mr. J. Abel Smith's
bill for proliii.iting drinking on the premises during the
whole of Sunday, excepting where meat, confectionery, or
ottisr victuals are sold.

111 r. Jones. chairman of the protection committee, was
voted to th I.bair, and urged the necessity of the trade
and the ',ebbe combining to defeat the obnoxious measure
introduced by the hon, member for Chichester.
Mr. Homan moved, " That Mr. John Abel Smith's bill
now before josliament for intenlictieg the sale of beer,
wine, and spirits to be drunk in publichuuses on Sunday,
be opposed on the ground of its injustice, inexpediency,
and impracticability, and its interference with the com-
forts, ordinary social usages, and privileges of the people."
Mr. WARD, chairman of the Licensed Victuallers'
Asylum, eecolitital the motion, remarkingthat the question
was one affecting in even a greater degree the liberty of
the people than the interests of the licensed victuallers.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Ilr. WINTENBOTTOM, of Peel's Coffeehouse, moved the
second resolution :—" That this meeting is of opinion, that
as large influences have been exercised to induce members
of the House of Commons to support the proposed bill,
which would entail such vexatious difficulties in the con-
duct of the business of the licensed victualler, and would
so much infringe upon the liberties of the public, it is
of great importance that petitions from the trade should
be presented against the second reading of the bill, and
that opportunities should be giveu to the public in the
same way to express their strong disapproval of the pro-
posed law."
The resolution was seconded by Mr. GALT and carried.
The following petition to the House of Commons was
then unaniniondy adopted :—" That your petitioners have
seen with grout regret the bill now before your honourable
house entitled, ' A Bill for further regulating the Sale of
Fermented and Distilled Liquors on Sunday, in England
and Wales.' That your petitioners respectfully call Eaten.
tion to the fact that the question of closing public-houses
on Sundays lies been already the subject of much discus-
sion in parliament, and of many decisions, and further.
that previous attempts of the woe kind were the cause of
great public excitement and disorder. That the provisions
in the last clduse of the proposed bill as to the partial
opening of the houses in question appear to your peti.
tioners to be eminently calculated to produce disputes anti
litigation, and, moreover, to be subversive of the principle
of the bill itself, affording opportunity for the evasion of
the law to an extent which would probably render it
utterly inoperative. That without going into the general
question of the inexpediency of such a bill, your petitioners
would respectfully call attention to the statistics recently
placed in the hands of the members, which plainly prove a
considerable decrease of drunkenness both in town and
country."
The usual compliment to the chairman concluded the
proceedings.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN UNITARIAN ASSO-
CIATION