The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-17 00:00:00

int mess must know of it, certainly, ihr l.horiun• purl ; but
a areal slumber of Ilse Inewrro work MT. men are sworn.

Do you think that ai ticks known to he illegal, and for
the use of winch a large fine is payable, e4ll he brought into
a brewery in qualities of live, len, or fifteen hundred weight,
and that frequently, without au almost certainty of being
detected ?.--(th dear, yes ; every illy, I should apprehend.
Then slate why, or how ?—These large breweries have
got so many men they can plant them to watch for a quarter
of a anile, and if they a►e any ufficer cussing which they
know, they would slot take it upon the premises; ■nd so-
other ll.iug, they hare gut such ■ 'mintier of store-houses
where they ran deposit it, which the little brewers have not.
What is the penalty upon the ore of any of those article.?
...-1110/. and some of them 200 f. I lielivie the pentanes hare
been altered; senor of the penalties which were only 1001.
hey,. been made Intl/ by the 42iiiif his present llaj►aty.
Are out the I,ge brew crier (eminently compelled to change
their soiling men !—Ft.qiiently, I dare say.
I)., Fon think it prohaliie that, that where penalties to Ibe
amount of one or ;misdeed pounds followed upon the
eouridiun of any of those articles being found upon Ilse pre-
mises of a great !newer, that they cool.' be continually
brought without sume person or other living found to give
the information?-1 can, say about that; I believe they
grarrally employ awn thvy can trust in &tug It ; that they
are nut afraid; and I have had info rm-160ns myself from
breweries, hot whether tr.,m any of iltu.e which I have heard
nsentioneil. I do not recollect ; some of the great brewers
men have told me apuittatieuusly that they were sworn to
Peri-ray.
. . .

Can you take upon yourself to point our any one house
from it servant of which you received that information,
when yuu received it. and who, and where that person is
who gave ii?—Yea, I have heard it from our or two;
hard it from woe of Th.ssrs. Bolds?* men, I Inhere Ilse
man is now dead, I have forgotten his tme; tic usually
went by the name of flub, he was a Itiebhman ; when Ise
told isle, I made this ad...creation to him, that " you should
not have sais; so; I would nut trust you 'you your oath for
nuking uw. of that expiession."
When did thin happen?-1 suppose about sleveu or twelve
year.' ngo, hut I caii.oit exactly .ay.
Why would you not believe him ?—liecanse I thought be
win not worthy to be believed, because by his own act he
had look. a bit oath ; I thought him a hail character.

Uu pun know *Wilier lie hail 61-en long in that house?—
Vt.; he had been there for some time; if' I recunect tight,
he win. ("lemon ~f the tuii-rnons.

II ad you known Ih tt man long?—lies, I had known him
some years; he had assisted me, along with some others at
Means Barrlola, in gauging some vessels.
Have you any other and better evidence than that for he.
!sieving the fact which you hare stated ?—Do the Committee
mean of the men twin sworn ?

Yes.—l have heard it from another quarter. I heard a
mats say, he was sworn, who came to give nee information
of a house in the country, also had been in the habit of
table.beer with strong: he came to inform me, that
the officer who swerved was ass ignorant man; and that
they bad brewed a good deal of strong beer which they put
down in list declaration as table, and the officer not under-
standing it, they were charged with the table-beer duty.
To what Aid the men declare to you they were sworn?—
To secresy; no more than that. He was sworn to secresy,
be said.

To secresy as to what ?—There was no explanation took
place. I will tell the Committee what brought it up :—We
were gauging a very large vessel; the man called Bob was
twisting; he put his thumb in, holdiug the rule between it
and the vessel; the vessel I suppose was as large as two.
thirds of ibis roorn, and holding up the role, be put his
thumb between, making the dimensious of the vessel an
inch less; ill consequence of which after I had been several
hours gauging the vessels, I had to do it over again. I be-
lieve he bad • check from the brewer himself fur doing it.
I said, " 11. b, how could you serve me wr He said, " I
must du all I can for my 'limier; I am sworn to secrecy, and
I must du all that I can fur is,, master."
Di:l either of those men gravely inform you in such mou-
nts, as 3ou thought worthy of belief, that an oath of secresy,
as to any illegal practicim, had hreu adminivtered to them
by order of their masters ?—I did not unilerstaud it in that
light; but I have no doubt he hail been sworn.

IVltat theta did you understand by their being swore'—To
keep their mister's secrets, if he had any, that a what 1 an-
del mood.; there was no definition givcu.
What was it then that you did not believe ?—I did believe
he had be!, sworn by what be said, but 1 said he was nut fit
to be believed.

If you did not understand the answer in that light, have
you any other cause for suppoaing they had been swore
understood, and I believe, that he bad been sworn sot tu
thank, any thins that had bee■ done in an improper mar-
sh r at the brearlton.e.

Do you believe he was sworn?—l do believe he was sworn,
by the expression be made use of; certainly not in a serious
way; the man was tipsy when he said so; but I believe in
my conscience be was sworn.
That is not an answer to the question, which is, " Did
either of those men gravely inform you, in such a matinee as
y.tos thought worthy of belief, that an oath of secresy, as to
concealment of any Megal practices, had been administered
to them by order of their masters''?—Yes; one of them, uu
&old ; the countryman.
By the countryman, do you mean the man Bob, of whom
you have spoken, as being employed in Messrs. Barclay's
brewery!—Nu, I do not.
. . . . .

When you spoke of the nom being tipsy when he gave the
information, did you mean Bub, in M . Barclay's
briarery ?—Yes ; Bob was tipsy when he spoke to me
about heingsivoro.
Thom do you, or do you not mean to say, that this man, by
name Bob, who gave you the information of his having been
mamas in Barclay's brewery, was in a state to be be-
lieved at the time he gave yon that informaliou ?-11e was
tipsy, lint I believed him ; lie told me he was sworn.
To what Shea du you apprehend him to have been sworn?
—That if he believed any thing illegal had been dune iu the
house, he would not divulge it. I think my observation
was, that he was not lv be believed upon his word or oath,
because he had divulged that to Ale which he was sworn to
keep. I think the man, in all probability, was ant insure
when be came into their employ ; lie was sworn generally lo
be failbful to his master. I dare say that is what I thought
of it ; there was nog &finitging with respect to drug*, there
was not a ward used, except what I have said ; and though
he was tipsy, and said it in that suet of way, 1 believe be
was sworn.
To visas ?—To be faithful to his master.
Do you conceive that Burt obligaisou and that oath ex-
tended to nut divulging any illegal practices, if they were
carried on in his masters house ?-1 certainty should have
considered it so.
D•es your belief of the existence of this oath depend upon
any oilier testintany than such.as yous have given ?--None.
How du you know that Bob, Mr It irrlay's servant, is dead ?
—I have beard so; I do nut know that he is.
If illegal ingredients arc used in the breweries of the great
brewers, what description of servants it. you think imme-
diately use it ?—I apprehend there must be different de-
ea-notions of servants; some of the carmen must he em-
pluyed to carry them in; if th y are Bolds they moist be
used Ly such teen as I hare beets 'peahen of just now 1
this man I think was the foreman of She 1111140WD ; if table.
r was to be mixed with strung, it must be dune by a mar
of this description.
Have ally sunk operations takes, plaice is the large porter
breweries ?—Nut to my knowledge.
Fur what purpose du they brew it?--They make it fur
'lron beer.
What do you mean by that?—For pulling among the
atrsmg.
11, you mean t. date to the Committee that they make