The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-05 00:00:00

SALE OF BEER.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was ex-
tremely desirous that no time should be lost in the appoint-
ment of a Committee to inquire into the Laws, relating to
Beer; and even at this late hour (a quarter past one) he
should proceed to move for its appointment. He would,
however, occupy the House only for a few minutes, while
he stated the general reasons on which lie founded his pro-
position. The subject of licences to public-houses had
been often brought under consideration, and sufficient had
been said on former occasions to justify the institution of
an inquiry. It had been already shown that the present
system of licensing had given rise more or less to a degree
of monopoly in the Beer Trade which had produced two
evils:--1. a deterioration in quality-2. an enhancement
of price. Both these he hoped to remedy, but he begged to he
understood as not at all yielding to the imputations thrown
upon a wealthy and respectable class of individuals engaged
in the manufacture and sale of beer; the fault, if fault there
were, was the fault of the law. His view was, that by ex-
tending the means of consuming beer no injury would be
inflicted upon the brewer, while an important benefit was
conferred on the public; and he was convinced that the
apprehensions felt by many persons interested in the pre-
sent system would turn out to be unfounded. He was quite
sensible of the advantage of extending the sale and con-
sumption of beer; but, at the same time, he did not mean
to put out of sight the necessity of keeping a vigilant su-
perintendence by the Magistracy fur the preservation both
of the public peace and of the public morals. The ad-
vantage resulting from opening in some degree the trade
in beer, lie thought, had been already established ; and
although it might be said that the plan had not answered
its purpose, he was greatly mistaken if that fact could be
proved. The reason, probably, why that plan had not
succeeded to the fullest extent, was that it did not go far
enough, and that the interference with the existing mo-
nopoly had been too limited. If riot and disturbance had
in some instances occurred, they had been occasioned by
the circumstance that houses for the sale of beer were not
sufficiently numerous, in consequence of which people
were congregated in masses, one part of which might be
liable to conic into conflict with another. The increase in
the consumption of beer would be beneficial to all, and not
least to the people themselves, both in health and morals.
The Right Hon. Gent. moved, " That a Select Commit-
tee be appointed to inquire into the Laws regulating and
restricting the Sale of Beer."
Mr. SLANEY highly approved of the motion.
Mr. C. BARCLAY regretted that this important subject
had been brought forward at so late an hour that it was
impossible to enter at all into the real merits of the ques-
tion. He agreed that the Members of the Committee had
been fairly chosen, but could not agree that any such in-
vestigation was necessary, or that it would be produc-
tive of any benefit. He believed that the present Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer would find himself, like his
predecessors in office, entirely mistaken as to the
consequences of a change ; and did time allow he was pre-
pared to show that the anticipations of Lord Goderich,
when, in 1825, he brought forward the Intermediate Beer
Bill, had been wholly disappointed. The sale and manu-
facture of beer was not so restricted as the Right Hon.
Gentleman imagined. It was by no means a monopoly,
and a great portion of the trade was free. Property to a
large amount would be seriously affected by the change,
not of the large brewers, for they were out of the ques-
tion, but of a very respectable class of the community,—

the owaers and occupiers of houses independent of any
brewer. He h )ped that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
would note and recollect his (11r.C. Barclay's) words, when
he said that the proposed alteration of the law, allowing
the sale of beer in shops, would only operate as a tran.fer
of the trade from one class to another, without at all in-

creasing the consumption of the article. If the Right
Hon. Gent. wished to induce the community to drink

more beer. the only effectual means of doing so was to
lower the duty ; for the price, at the present cost of ma-

terials, could not bear reduction. The real and great evil
was the present amount of the tax.

After a few words from Mr. BENSON, expressive of
his opinion that the inquiry would be attended with no

advantage either to individuals or the public, the question
was put and carried, and the following Committee was
named :

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Viscount Al-
borp, Mr. Slaney, Mr. Estcourt, Mr. Bingham Baring,

Mr. William Peel, Mr. Western, Mr. Kekewich,
Dawson, Mr. Robert Palmer, Mr. Alderman Wood, Mr.
Charles Barclay, Lord Granville Somerset, Sir Edward
Knatchbull, Mr. Calcraft, Mr. Ridley Colborne, Mr.
Ross, Marquis of Douro, Mr. Archibald Campbell, Sir
John Wrottesley, Mr. Charles Calvert, Lord Nugent, Sir
George Clerk, Sir Thomas Fremantle, Sir Robert Wilson.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and
at Two o'clock the House adjourned.

On Monday afternoon, as the Duke of WEL-
trriurox was passing down Parliament-street from
Charing-cross towards the House of Lords, he was ac-
costed by a stranger, who annoyed him with questions all
the way as far as Bridge-street. Hie Grace remonstrated
with the man, and desired him to pass on in vain ; at
last a police constable, seeing the disagreeable situation in
which his Grace was placed, went up to the stranger ; and
on his refusing to discontinue his interruption, the con-
stable took him into custody, and conveyed him before
Mr. 'WHITE, at Queen-square police-office. On being in-
terrogated by the Magistrate, he said he said his name was
JOHN DRYDEN, of No. 15, Salamanca-place, Lambeth.
Mr. WHITE asked him why he had annoyed his Grace in
the manner described by the police-man ; the defendant in
reply, said he had seen the Duke when he was at the City
of Durham on a visit to the Marquis of LONDONDERRY,
and he was merely asking his Grace about the post-duties
and other parliamentary business. Mr. WHITE said it was
extremely hard that his Grace could not walk the public
streets, but must be forced to ride in his carriage, to avoid
such persons as the defendant. He was then ordered to
find securities for his better behaviour, and in default was
committed to Tothill-fields prison....llfurning Paper.