The National Register.
London, England, 1818-02-01 00:00:00

No. 5621.—V0L. XI

POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

ON THE PERNICIOUS PRACTICES OF THE COM-
MON BREWERS, WITH HINTS TO THE LEGIS
LATURE FOIL THE SUPPRESSION OF THESE
ABUSES.

WE made, in our last number, some artu'liott to a
Meeting which has since been held in the Metropolis,
"to consider the best means of counteracting the
Monopoly of the Brewers," at the same time, recom-
mending the subject as one deserving the immediate
'consideration of Parliament. The combination which
formed the subject matter of discussion at the above
Meeting, however important in itself, and however
contrary to Law, if the fact can be established against
them, is certainly of minor importance to the evil which
has been so justly complained of in regard to their
practice of sophisticating the common beverage, so as to
render it prejudicial to the health of its'constuners. It
has been asserted, and probably with some truth, that
the alarming number of apoplexies, paralytic affec-
tions, sudden deaths, and maniacal disorders, which
have prevailed of late years, are to be attributed to
the deleterioss articles now introduced into the manu-
facture of the common necessaries of life. There ap-.
pears, indeed, too much reason to apprehend that the
evil proceeds from this cause,—indeed we do not think
it can be traced to any other source, upeu rational or
philosophical principles. Baler: have been frequently
detected, and but slightly puuished, fur an oXence which
would have ieductel our ancestors to have visited them
with the heaviest inflictions. There can, indeed, be little
doubt that the iniquitous practice, by uo means uncom-
mon in our day, of mixing calcareous matter, pulver.
ized.stmee, is the flout constituting the seaff of life,
would have excited our forefathers to enact laws of the
most rigorous kind, to meet so enormous, so diabolical
a crime. Nor would the Brewer who should have been
eieteCted in the admixture of Grains of Paradise, Nux
VoMisa, Extract of Nicotiana, or any of the numerous
drugs and poisons with which the trade are so well ac-
quainteeLain their brewugee have escaped a punish-
ment equally severe ; to'saf nothing of their being fur
ever after held up to the scorn and detestation le,. man-
kind. The story of Old Booty, the brewer of Vt'ap-
ping, who was hunted by the Devil into the crater of
a Laming mountain for sins of this kind, by him corn-
an' iited, is too well known to need repeating how-
ever, serves to shew the abhorrence with -which our
forefathers viewed transgressors of this sort.

Bat these offences, at which onr common nature
shudders, were in former times of very trifling I port,
compared with the whoh.sale initioitous practices which
arc going on in the present day ; the trade of a Brew-
er's Druggist is now openly car►ied on under the very
tong,' illagiaracy, by persons who do not hesitate to
avow that they have made their fortunes at the business.
Surely the legislature would do well to take into their
serious consideration a subject so pregnant with evil to
the great mass of the population of this country, whose
daily support is iu a great measure derived from the
common beverage Purist:; which in former times pos-
sessed sufficient strciigth and body to afford the nou-
rishment of both meat and drink to the hard-working
and labouting classes. This is not merely a subject
which as u Reverend Gentleman has said, " conccrtis
only Ale-thinkers ;"—it is one of natioanl importance
in :onions points of view. If these practices are not
suppressed, diseases will multiply, and become more
funnitlable in their attacks ; the physical strength of
tli.c people will be diminished; and the number of pour
will be im.rea.sed, from inability to obtain their sup-
port, by reason of the palsied, paralyzed, and guncrally
Illorloal state to which they will be reduced by the dele-
teeiotis mixtures which they imbibe. If the retty crimes