The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-11 00:00:00

the fact was, that if he had a wish I. do se, lie bad
only to go to another brewer, and say he preferred
his porter, and then he would, for changing its
rostoni, he enabled to repay the lien on his lease.
Ile 'toil give on stronger proof of this than by
Mating, that within two years, a cheep of from
two to 300 of the houses of his own arm (that is,
one-third of their whole number) had taken place.
Now it wee aboard ter suppose, that if this practice of
loans was done sway, with, beer would become any
cheaper or better, fro oak-twelfth part or a holt.
peurry on the price of a pot of porter, in the total
average of sale, would pay the interest isis their
whole aggregate amount; and was the reduc-
tion of such • fraction as that likely to bo
unlit the public? while, on the contrary, the
practice of snaking those advances (whirls he
h«I clearly sheen did not bind the parties to
particular brewer) were of great atleissitage
to industrious individuals, who were thereby
set lip in trade, and enabled honestly to sup-
rort their families. It thereto* 11,01 i the source
of benefit to individuals, and eseirijory Whivever to
olio public at large.. The rest greased of comp/Mut
alter that of monopoly, was the anosemeary (as it
was said) advance in the prices This, he world un-
dertake to prove, was the Moat aftauthOrked charge
that had been ever made upon any body of Men.
I le would o 3 this point again refer to ilie Police Coin-
unite', the Chairman of which acknowledged the
readiness of the brewers to give him every infor-
mation in their power. Now how did the prices
'stand ? Forty years ago the price was 61,4. per
pot ; vonteiiine after id. Was added, which made
the price 41. ; subsequent addit made it 6r1..
/Ls colleague (Mr. Calvert) had clearly proved
before the Police Committee, that the articles used
in the siosnufacture of porter had increased in price
ur late yeses from 100 to 800 per 'cent. and some of
t:uemn inure. Look then et the addition made
withiu the saMe time by the brewer, and see if
there we* the smallest foundation fur the
imputation cost supon his character. The average
price of malt and hops for the lot forty-eight
year. ass before the Committee. For a 'series of
-twenty years the price of hops had been from 31a. 6d.
'to 33.. 91. the cut. Malt hist year was 864. ; this
ear they stood about 8016 ; and its malt alone there
ass an increase of 160 per cent. The highest price
'of hops in the old average was 41. 9r. BJ. ; it was
slow from 28/. to 301. The rise of id. per pot at a
'former period was in con sepience of the additional
malt dory. The lowering the price iu 1816 was he.
cause that duty was taken off. This
_gave an expla-
'ailors to the points on which Mr. Beaumont ow
peered to be mistake*, sod accounted For that
'Which he could not comprehend. ThatGentlenusn
hhiteritirely mistaken animiuts and circumstances.
lie hml, Tor Umlaute, stated the price of hops at
..t3/. rhos 'it was 1511. and 111. when it was 8/. This
led to ble rata Coiehtsiook Mr. Deaumuut had
also 'ghosts lb* price if malt lest year at 103 s.
whereaslfires 06a. Oa the gaieties of the stock
on baud, the public had decidedly berielited
truss it. The price of melt hod. within • year
two, varied fechn Us. to 80e. and there was
no comparison between the quality of the arti-
cle itself. An illusion in the course of the

proceedings, froth which this Petition emanat.
'al, had been made to the Gulden-lane Bresiery.—
Isiow this was an establishMent raised and supported
on subscription shares—the proprietors*, could or
tonne sell it a cheaper rate than Other.
lamb Mich befodged to indiwittuale, who of cobra
'expected to receive is fair iisterest 'for their capital
and superintendence. This palliate establisherent
had, by shares, started with 'capital of3411;(100(.for
years they derived no interest fur their money, ICA '
shares were now selling at such a toss, tliat it would
appear the whole or the capital, except 1.00,0004
had been sink—not only brewers but publieans
hid undersold their porter, but he belieirtl there
was hardly en instance where they bad dune
so at a
.penny under the price, in which they
had not mixed either table beer or water with what
they kid so sold. The house to which he belong-
ed kid been applied to by such persons, but they
•refused to sell the:, beer to houses who practised
such means of imposing on the public. There was
no combination of brewers in the manner alluded
to—on the contrary, the whole elect of the large
concerns was to bap down the high prices which
the small owes, if left to themselves, would have a
tendency to 'create; the effect of the large houses
was, in fact, to lower the price. The next point
of objection win the ea of improper ingredient.,
of a different character from malt and hops. He
most decidedly anted there was not a shadow of
foundation for such a charge—he could tasswer fur
one !moor, and he believed for others, that it was
wholly elesfitute of truth. There were some parti-
cular convictions of this nature, but not one, he
believed, in Loudon. If the brewer wished to in-
cur the guilt of such a practice, how could he, in
fact, eaecate his infentious? He must, in the
free of the itteiii&Olficers, and the great smother
of urea an his concern, bring in cart loads of these
deleterious ingredient.. It was impossible he ennid
attempt such a thing—the mere report of any
such practice would he ruinous to hietn. Ile could
state one ca.e in point--a (die and Infainous report
lied guise forth, from whom be could not say,
though roost certainly the preparations for this.
Petition bad an effect on the rumour, that his own
• firm had had a seizure oo their doneeru. Such ins
rttect had this rumour, that in the 'space of i few
toys the publicans whirl:holt with them came for-
eard, mid entreated Cult a public cuntradictiou
.1.11Ui2161 br Veil to the report, or else they could
tit sell au), of the porter on hands. Wes it poen..
I,le, then, that any concerti would risk such couse-
totem:es ? it free trade had, in fact, been effected
1 y the large Concert's in a great degree. Osi the
1,01.11 of the general opening of pnblic-Ilituses
free ur.rekrainr. Hi an individual, it would pro-
. mote liis interest; but yet he could lint forget that
a large body of publicans hull embarked their
property un the faith of their leasehold advantage.e,
and could not be deprived of them without an
hilequate equivalent. They 101 l a right to be
pre-
trcted its What they had fairly purchased ; anti in
cue house alone the amount of such homes could
cot Ire e.tumnattd at less than half a million. Ile
w,.• siestas for nil laqUiry, merely to %hew the
telseliotatef the imputation cast oil kewers of
the metropolis.
hl.. Ihcztusott here arose and said, that :is
. I Mot Ind. seer pending which it airs mitterial
should ht *cut up le the Lords this evening, he