The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-05-06 00:00:00

POOR LAWS.

Sir R. FEadvsos presented a Petition from
Pembroke against the Poor ',ans.—Ordered to lie
on the table.

Sir J. GRAHAM iirteented a Petition from Car.
hale against the PlXlI' Settlement 8i11..-Orderttl
to lie on the table.

LICENSES TO PUBLICANS.
Mr. BENNETT preseuttil Petitium from Licensed
Publicans from London, IVestmiuste►, and the
Borough of Southwark, praying br some alteration
iit the License Act.—Ordered to lie. on the table.

Mr. BUNKII:IT then rose and said, that after the
voluminous reports published on the subject, he
would not tronble the !louse with much detail.
Ile would set before the House the law as it stands,
and the amendment he meant to propose. The
principal law was the statute of the Vith George 11,
that law made licenses iimival for the first time;
before that they were held during good conduct.
That law requires that persons to whom license
should be granted, shall produce a certificate
signed by the clergyman, the church-wardens, and
the inhabitants of the parish ; but this regulation
varied in some places. In some counties the Ma-
gistrates would grant nu licenses where the clergy-
man did not approve. In the metropolis a must
obnoxious system was pursued—fees from half a
crown to a guinea for signatures to a publicati's
certificate. Ile (31r. &inlet!) meant to propose
that license should be granted on a certificate
signed by the clergyman, the churchwardens, or
six inhabitants, tint of the parish where the pub-
lican intends to set up, but of the parish in which
he last resided. It was too well known that thou.
sands of persons in public bu►iness, harboured the
lowest and the worst of the community, amid appro-
priated their places to the double purposes of a
brothel and of a public-house; the reason is, that
care is not taken ill the issuing of licenser, and
persons a•ho are refused by one Magis►rate, pro-
cures them from another, because, in fact, licenses
are now looked on as mere mutters of form. The
next point was as to recognisances—at present the
publican enters into recognisance iu It)!. and two
sureties in 5!. each; but this regulation is cou+i•
dered a dead letter; the practice in the metropolis
was, that the clerk held a wiper which contained
the names of the different publicans, woe of whom
went security for the other. Ile would propose,
that substantial ceoognizarice ►hould be entered
into, and that it should not be. as it is at present,
a were dead letter. The florist., lie said, was
aware, that Magistrates of late years had taken on
them the power—a power which the law did not
give them—of taking licenses away ; but with respect
to this, he believed, that thotsgb there were route
cases of private oppression, yet, in general, it was
hut so. In London, however, it was directly the
reverse. In the metropolis licenses have been taken
away—sometimes on grounds that were very vague

.
.—somettutes on grounds that were never assigned.
Sir Nathaniel Conasit told him (Mr. Bennett). that
licensing Magistrates were recommended never to
assign a reasioi. Ile had not, he said, idle use.
certified stories; the facts oh this subject were veri-
fied to him. It was, he said, well known, that
solated' itilliteoce iu this way was exerted by the
Members of Corporattotis against the party opposing
them ; he believed this pernicious practice was car-
' tied to an extent further than lie could stair,
though they acted merely on a construction of law,
a construction which the highest legal authorities
have dissented from. It was clear, fie said, Into
the Acts, that recognizances could be taken away,
nut by the decision of a Magistrate, but on convic-
tom before a Jury. He would propose to send the
case to a Jury, who might awaid peoally. Ilia
imumettinin of which 61/4glit be lOW. to costs where
1. the brrucle of the recognizance war gross ;dal
wilful. It was, he said, greatly to he lamented, to
are industrious mud holiest publicans deprived a
their licenses without any fair cause of compliiitit—
often upon the caprice of s 31.1%istritte, who might

bike it nap Lis he. d to suiplare an
merely heroine the politicos' ot two doors
bread of one; that be wit.: rat hostel() ufbemv I, •

upon any other ground. Iriosever
foolish. or fantastic. 111 would praprore, tel ;ot
umetition•ort, that there should be 0,,
appeal front the licensing Mringisirstr. to Kr
Mrigistrates at the Quarter S.s-inns. Oil. ohj.i.t
was to give protection where protection way mat
wanted. lie then went at considerable leogtlsi;.h.
the system of brewers holding by their servitor
public-houses. which he I.llll4lenilleil w preAo.o.,
with public mischief and private inisfortorw.
such an extent hes this practice •Xterrilell,
one place where there were sixty-eight
lotuses, there were but two of them Much weir oat
the properly or brewers; in soother rho r,
there were eighteen public-houses. fourteen or fif-
teen belonged to brewers ; anti lir Niasitsione,
there were forty politic-houses. all of them belo:.
td to brewers. The consequence of lisis ,
That Ilie littlAle were cheated sail entlisolo.!,
were ruined. and unwholesome Hod iablvel
was vended, lint at all like the littaie-ibre wed pl..
which was a con,tione.sirle article. Time
dentin concluded by nut 6' for Irki*e to
in a Bill to regulate the granting ot Ist:riot's Ili
publicans."

'jibe flan. GEORGE ll..tms secouirill the moria.
which war pin mud ca.ried.

Mr. HENN rr r the., brought in 11.4 BM,
fetid a lir,t time, .11,11 urdr►etl 1., lir
Steolid time uss and to 16r I,rot•ti.