The Sun.
London, England, 1830-04-09 00:00:00

SALE OF BEER BILL.

Mr. CALCRAFT said, that having been the
Chairman of the Committee which had been ap-
pointed to examire into the licensing system, it was
now his duty, in pursuance of their directions, to
move for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the sale
of beer. As neither the report of that Committee,
nor the evidence which they had collected, had yet
been laid on the table of the House, he thought
that it would be unfair for him to enter at present
into any points of controversy, further than was
necessary to explain the purposes of the Bill which
he now sought to introduce. The Committee had
been given to understand, that the principle of a
free trade in beer was a principle which had been
adopted by the House; and that, in order to give
full effect to the repeal of the beer duties, the
House was desirous to carry the freedom of that
trade to the fullest extent. The Committee,
adopting, the same opinion, had ordered this Bill
to be brought in, which he conceived would be found
plain, simple, intelligible, and effective, for the object
for which it
was intended. It provided that any per-
son who resided in London should, on applying at the
licensing-office of the Excise, receive a licence to
sell beer for the next two years, upon payment of
the sum of two guineas : and that ,any person who
resided in the country, should receive the same
licence, on the same terms, by applying to the
superintendent or other officer of excise for the
district. Thus would a complete freedom be
established in the trade in beer. This would be •
followed up by a variety of regulations for the good

conduct of the houses licensed under the Bill, into
which he would not then enter. Having thus
steered clear of the other houses, which would still
be licensed under Mr. Esteourt's act, the Com-
mittee thought that the regulations which they had
prov►ded would insure in the houses licensed under
this Act, order, regularity, and decency, and cer-
tainly punishment, if order, regularity, and decency
were not preserved in them. The only excuse
which he had for saying even as much as he had said
upon this Bill was, that this was the last day before
the recess, and that he wished to get the Bill
printed, in order that the House might, on its re-
assembling, have before it the collective opinion of
the country on the merits of a measure which was
of great importance, not only as regarded the vast
capital invested in the beer trade, but also as re-
garded the working classes, to whom it held out a
prospect of a better, a snore wholesome, and a
cheaper beverage, than any which they had ever
before drank under the name of beer. He hoped
that gentlemen would not, upon this occasion, enter
into a discussion of the details of the Bill, as it
would be unfair to those gentlemen who had not
been upon the Committee, and who were conse-
quently unacquainted with the evidence. He con-
cluded by moving for leave to bring in a Bill allowing
the general sale of beer by retail in England and
Wales.

Mr. C. BARCLAY entreated Ministers to read
over the evidence taken before the Committee during
the recess, and to consider whether they could not,
in consequence of the great importance of the inte-
rests affected by this Bill, agree to some modifica-
tion of it. He did not speak now in behalf of the
London brewers, for he had always been of opinion
that the benefit which their trade would receive
from a remission of the beer duties, would be greater
than the less which they might suffer from this Bill.
He spoke in behalf of couHtry brewers, and of the
publicans enjoying houses of their own, whom this
Bill, allowing every person without limitation to
sell beer in any way he chose, was calculated to in-
jure seriously. He believed that there were 50,000
publicans who annually took out licenses, and that
of this number 23,000 enjoyed houses of their own.
Many of these persons had mortgaged their houses;
and be verily believed that if this Bill passed, the
value of their houses would be so materially dimi-
nished, as not to be worth the sums lent upon them.
He had submitted a mode of relieving these indivi-
duals to the Committee, but in vain. If HO other
Member should propose that plan to the House
and he admitted that it would come with a better
grace from a ny other Member than himself—he
should move, as an instruction to the Committee,
that some relief be afforded to the parties whose
claims he had just been advocating. He should fol-
low the example of the Right Hon. Gentleman op-
posite, and not discuss this question further at
present.

Mr. C. CALVERT could not twee in all that
had fallen from his Hon. Friend who had just ad-
dressed the House. "We are so mixed up," said
the lion. Member, " with the publicans, that what-
ever affects them will undoubtedly affect us; and it
is my opinion that if this Bill pass, the money
which we have advanced to the victuallers will
never be repaid us. If this Bill were likely to be
a benefit to us, we might be enabled to act leniently
to them ; but I cannot lay that flattering unction to
my soul. I believe that it will be ruinous to the
victualler, and very distressing to the manufacturer
of beer." He could have wished that only one ex-
periment were made at a time. The taking off the
beer duty would be beneficial to the public; and all
the benefit which it would receive from that measure
would have been received by it through the old
channel, without the aid of the new channel,
through which they were now to get their beer. In
Mr. Carr's evidence, given in 1818, it was stated
that all the deleterious beer consumed in London
was brewed by the inferior brewers; and he had no
doubt that, as soon as this Bill passed, the town
would be inundated by a deluge of trash, which
would not merely be not drinkable, but which would
also be most destructive of the health of those who
swallowed it.

Mr. 11. DRUMMOND was glad that this Bill
was not to extend to Scotland. Indeed, such a
Bill would be unnecessary in that country ; for the
evil of the monopoly, which it was intended to pre-
vent in England, Intd never had any existence in
Scotland.

After a few words from Mr. FERGUSSON and Mr.
STEWART,

Sir J. SEBRIGHT said, that though he should
lament to see any property sacrificed by this Bill, he
must still remind the Hon. Members below him, that
the laws under which they had invested their pro-
perty in public houses were laws, not of property
but of police. He would not pretend to speak of
the consequences of the present system in town;
but would confine himself to its consequences in the
country, which had fallen more particularly under
his own observation. A house was built on specu-
lation, of which the intrinsic value was not worth
more than 10/. a year. A licence was procured
first, and its value rose immediately to 201., 30/., 40/.,
or even .50/. a year. Now this rent was paid for by
the consumers of the beer. Any measure, there-
fore, which enabled the consumers to get rid of this
extra payment for their beer must be to the man im-
provement. He congratulated the House and the
country on the liberality with which the present
Ministry met the spirit of improvement that was
now abroad.—(Hear, hear.)---A degree of liberality
distinguished this Administration beyond every other
which had preceded it. He owed them gratitude
for their conduct, and hoped that their future mea-
sures would be conceived and executed in the same
spirit as their past.—(Hear, hear.)—The present
system of licensing inflicted on the lower orders a
more oppressive monopoly than any other which
could he well imagined, and he was glad to see that
it was at last determined to get rid of it altogether.
Those who had invested their money under that
system, had no right to complain of its termination,
for they had invested their money in that manner at
their own peril.
Mr. F. BUXTON said that the brewers of the
metropolis had never adopted the monstrous notion
that the present laws were enacted for the benefit of
the brewer, and not for that of the public. He
thought that the brewers had met this Bill fairly,
for they had stated that though they should be
losers in the first instance, some of them to the
amount of 100,000!., they were convinced that they
should be ultimately gainers, owing to the remis-
sion of the beer duties. There was, however, an-
other class of persons who must be great sufferers
by this new law,—he meant the publicans; and their
case he really thought to be deserving of ,considera-
tion. He conceived that a remedy for a portion of
their loss might be easily provided. Without at all
entrenching on the principles of free trade, the
House might adopt the amendment of his Hon.
Friend, restricting the parties from drinking beer on
the premises.

Mr. HUME wished to know why, if this mea-
sure was good for England, it was not to be extended
to Scotland ? The evils which it was intended to
cure, were certainly not so great in Scotland as in
England ; but still he had heard of many cases of
hardship in that country, which he thought ought to
be remedied. He hoped the Bill would be extended
over the United Kingdom.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
had no wish to preclude Scotland from the benefit
of this measure, should such be the feeling of the
House.

Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, which
was read a first time and ordered to be printed.
The report on the Stamp Duties was brought up
and agreed to.

TOBACCO DUTIES ACT.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
proposed to bring up the reports on thew acts; but,
After a few words from Mr. WARBURTON and
Mr. lIUME, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
agreed to postpone it till after the holidays.
The other Orders of the Day being disposed of,
the House adjourned at Half-past Seven o'clock,

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.

A MILL FOR THE RELIEF OF HIS MAJESTY'S SUB,
JECTS PROFESSING THE JEWISH RELIGION.

Note.—The words printed in Italics are proposed to be

inserted in the Committee.

Whereas, by the operation of various laws, his Ma-
jesty's subjects professing the Jewish religion are subject to
certain restraints and disabilities: and whereas it is expe-
dient that the same should be removed, and the subjects
of his Majesty professing the Jewish religion be placed in
the same state and condition, as to all civil rights and pri-
vileges, as his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects :
May it, therefore, please your Majesty that it may be
enacted, and be it enacted, by the King's most excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this pie-
sent Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the
same, that, from and after the passing of this Act,
it shall be lawful for any of his Majesty's subjects
professing the Jewish religion to have and enjoy all
such and the same civil rights, franchises, and privi-
leges, and to hold, exercise, and possess such and the same
offices, places, employments, trusts, and confidences, as the
subjects of his Majesty professing the Roman Catholic re-
ligion are now by law able and competent to have, enjoy,
hold, exercise, and possess, and under the same restrictions :
provided always that his Majesty's subjects professing the
Jewish religion shall, in all cases in which his Majesty's
Roman Catholic subjects are by law required so to do,
take, in the form and manner and under the modifications
hereinafter mentioned, and subscribe the oaths set forth and
appointed in and by an Act passed in the last Session of
Parliament, intituled " An Act for the Relief of his Ma-
jesty's Roman Catholic Subjects," and make and subscribe
the declaration prescribed by an Act passed in the ninth
year of his present Majesty's reign, intituled " An Act for
repealing so much of several Acts as impose the necessity
of receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as a
qualification for certain offices and employments."
Provided always, and be it further enacted, that when
any of his Majesty's subjects professing the Jewish religion
shah, take the oaths or subscribe the said declaration, the
words " on the true faith of a Christian" shall be omitted.

And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid,
that whenever any of his Majesty's subjects professing the
Jewish religion, shall, at any time or times hereafter, pre-
sent himself, or be required to take the said oaths, up.
poioted and set forth in and by the said Act, passed in the
said last cession of Parliament, or any other oath or oaths,
all the said oaths shall be administered to, and taken by,
such person professing the Jewish religion, in like manner
as Jews are admitted to be sworn to give evidence in
Courts of Justice ; and the same shall be deemed a suffi-
cient and lawful taking of Inch oaths on all occasions
whatsoever.

And be it further enacted, that from and after the pass-
ing of this Act, his Majesty's subjects professing the Jewish
religion shall be and become subject and liable to such and
the same incapaeities, disabilities, and penalties as his Ma-
jesty's subjects professing the Roman Catholic religion now
are subject and liable to by law, and to none other inca-
pacities, disabilities, or penalties whatsoever : and that
the oath hereinbefore referred to, being taken in manner
aforesaid, and subscribed by any person professing the
Jewish religion, shall be of the same force and effect, for
the relief and exemption of the persons taking and sub-
scribing the same, from any disabilities, incapacities, or
penalties whatsoever, as the same oath would be for the
relief and exemption of a person professing the Roman
Catholic religion, if taken and subscribed by such person
in the manner directed by the said Act of the last Session
of Parliament ; and that the oath, hereby authorised to be
taken by persons professing the Jewish religion, shall be
admini►tered, recorded, and certified by the same persons,
and in the same manner respectively, as by the last-men-
tioned Act the oaths thereby authorised to be taken by,
persons professing the Roman Catholic religion are di-
rected to be administered, recorded, and certified.