The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-03 00:00:00

retirement as the greatest of all calamities, and it was, in
consequence of the manifeetation of universal feeling in the
public, hoped that the president might succeed in averting
Mr. Lerdo's retirement from office. PoTics still continue
somewhat unsettled. There had been a promenciamento at
San Luis, and in the south aaneral Alvarez's conduct had
been so doubtful as to cause serious apprehensions. The
packet brings 55,000 dols from Mr. Whitehead, but no
other xemittances, for the dividend fund.
. Since writing the above the Asia has arrived.
She sailed front New York on the 21st ult: The
commercial advices to hand are not much changed
from that of previous advioes. The Money market
was steady. The Cotton market was rather firmer,
with a fair amount of business doing. For Bread-
stuffs there was a good general request, and prices
of Flour bad advanced 10e. per barrel. Wheat was
also the turn higher. Provisions showed an
improving tendency. An annual statement of the
Sugar trade of. the Unified States had been pub-
lished, from which We find, that the receipts into
the country of foreign unrefined Sugar, for the
year ending Dec. 31, 1856, were 275,602 tons, and
the consumption was 255,292 tons ; a gainst receipts
in. 1853 of 205,064 tons, and consumption 192.607
tons. The total consumption of foreign and domestic
cane Sugar in .1856, 378,769 tons, against total
consumption in 1855 of 370,752 tons, being a slight
increase, say one•fouth of 1 per cent, which is
equivalent to a falling off of 3 to 4 per cent., taking
into consideration the increase of population.

THE LICENSING SYSTEH.

TO WILLIAM BROWN, ESC,., M.P.

Sir,—Previous to your returning to your parlia-
mentary labours, 1 am anxious to have a word or
two,with you On a .subject in which we are both
deeply interested, but on which we have formed
very opposite opinions ; and as, wherever differ-
ence of opinion,exists, it is necessary there should
be some tribunal to appeal to, I ask the public to
judge between us. At the last annual meeting of the
magistrates, you obtained the passing (by a very
small majority) of a resolution, calling on govern-
ment to pass into law resolutions 'agreed to by a
select committee of the house, of which you were
chairman, and stating '` that all the evils therein
disclosed continued to egist in a frightful degree."
I have very carefully read the evidence given, and can
only say that the conclusion must have been a fore-
gone, one, as the principal official witnesses examined
all agreed that a very gre'at Majority of the licensed
vietv.al.ers of this kingdom conducted their houses
in the tnest creditable Manner. It is true that
statistic 3 prove Liverpool au exception ; but even
bore, where the free system snriearly prevails, our
respected head constable reports " that the great
majerity are, well conducted," and I have no hesita-
tioa in saying
,that if our local magistracy (which
you are one of) did their duty bY refusing licences
to improper persons, the licensed victuallers would
equal .in respeatability any other class of retail
tradesmen You say you Would alter the system.
'I agree with you; a very bad system has been
,adopted; the discretion has been badly used, but
the law is all sufficient. Now for your panaCea.
You would throw.open the trade, character alone
being the qualification. The .preseut law pernaits,
one and requires the other. You would make'the
trade .free--,-how do you propose doing so ? In the
first place you would require a very large sum to
-be psi.' for the privilege ; next, you would i eqatire
sureties fir the payment of very heavy penalties,
which you would enforce with unrelenting severity.
You would surround the house with police-spies,
and you would take away the license, for which the
trader had paid a large sum, on the smallest
infringement of the privilege. Truly, this is Free
Trade with a vengeance ; and what respectable
man do you think would enter a trade fettered 'like
'that? •Fie;Mr. Brown—there is no freedom there.
But I strongly suspet you have a covert object.
Your best friends. are Financial Reformers,
whose theory is to redude indirect, and increase
the revenue by direct, taxation, and the Chancellor
of the Exchequer- (with the present income tax
agitation) may require the money to be raised by
the new scheme. Very well, I will show him
another new source. of revenue. The licensed
victuallers are already the most heavily taxed body
in -the wholesale and retail dealers
both pay large sums for permission to sell wines
and spirits. But what do importers and brokers
pay ?—what amount of license to your friends the
Ewart's, Gladstone's, Earle's, and Yates'pay ?Why,
nothing. Why then should they escape scot free
when all other dealers pay, and when you would
make the retailer pay still more? This, I
presume, is Financial Free Trade ; no
wonder your aforesaid friends are so particularly
anxious to extend it; but I trust the Chancellor Of
the Exchequer will look at both sides of the ques-
tion, and see the desirability of extending the bene-
fit of free-trade in taxation to all who are concerned
in the, sale of wines and spirits. The theory pro-
pounded in the resolutions is so absurd that I could
still more lengthily illustrate their utter worthless-
ness, but enough for the
.present ; their effect on
public morals will keep for some other opportunity,
until when, permit me to remain, your obedient
servant, PUBLICANUS.