The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-20 00:00:00

FREE TRAM? IN BEER.

The Select Committee upon Public-houses have
made their report. The scope of their inquiry was
of a very considerable extent, for the subject in-
cluded not only the general regulations affecting
all places of public entertainment, but the whole
bearing of the licensing system and the laws affect-
ing the sale of intoxicating drinks. Of course, such
a committee is only appointed on a presumption of
abuse or error, and the abuses in this case were
universallyheld to be manifold. The law in the first
place was complicated—that is to say, there were
numerous varieties of licenses admitting in a propor-
tionate degree of deceit and evasion. In the next
place, it was oppressive, for, as the issuing of the
most lucrative license was optional, and the grant
of this privilege was lodged in certain official
hands, the whole system was exposed to the opera-
tion of jobbery. Finally, and as a result of these
mistaken provisions, the public were grievously
wronged in their " drinks, which appear to have
been adulterated to an extent perfectly abominable.
To all these evils it is attempted to apply some
remedy.
With respect to the confusion of licenses we need
say little except on one particular point. There is
one license for the sale of beer, and another for the
sale of beer and spirits—the former constituting a
beer-shop, and the latter what is known by the
name of a " public-house." This distinction ori-
ginates in the act called the Beer Act, which was
especially intended to secure the public in a good,
cheap, and wholesome supply of the national beve-
rage. Before the year 183 J beer, like spirits, could
be obtained only at public-houses of the old de-
scription ; and, as these were mostly under the
command of brewers-, who at the same time exer-
cised material influence over the licensing board,
it was evident that the public suffered, while the
rich monopolists were gainers. By way of amend-
ment, therefore, it was decided that the sale of
beer, as a wholesome article of consumption,
should be disassociated from the sale of spirits, and
that a license to deal in malt liquor should be
obtainable by any person as a right, upon certain
securities for good conduct being forthcoming. It
was in this legislation that " beer shops" arose ;
but the result has not been commensurate with the
expectations conceived. The possession of the
overrideation
of
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beer is general and serious ; drunkenness has not
tblrleewaedrsulttoer
diminished, and the public is little better off than
before.

It cannot be denied that the chief part of these
evils is traceable to the present system of licensing.
It is quite true that, as far as beer is concerned, any
reputable person may obtain a license to deal in
that commodity ; and as he may, if he so pleases,
brew his own ale, it seems as if sufficient security
existed against anything like monopoly. But it is
found in practice that the beerseller who deals in
that article only is no match for the publican, who
deals in other articles besides. Not only are spirits
attractive in themselves, but they furnish the retailer
with the means of reducing the price of his beer
below the rate of legitimate trading, and making
up the loss at the spirit-tap. The profit upon gin
serves to cover the sacrifice upon malt liquor, and
the publican is thus kept harmless by an expedient
which is beyond the reach of the beer-seller. The
obvious resource of the beer-seller in these straits
is to apply for a wine and spirit license for him-
self; but here he is stopped by the law, for the
granting of such a license is not compulsory, but
is left to the discretion of the magistrates. How
this discretion has been exercised we need not at
present consider. The report alludes to a preva-
lent "suspicion " that "licenses are held and
granted capriciously, and that the influence of
builders and brewers is more potent than either the
character of the applicant or the requirements of
the public," and for such suspicion we venture to
say there are pretty good grounds. Sometimes the
refusal of licenses takes the form of a general objec-
tion to multiply drinking-shops; but, whatever
may be the motives .?,t work, the practical result is,
that a spirit license is only attainable by the aid of
considerable influence, and the advantages which
it conveys are consequently monopolised by those
whose position enables them to obtain it, or who
possess it already.
The Beer Act, therefore, has been a failure, but
it has been a failure only because the principle of
open trading, which 'it professed to establish, was
not in reality established at all. It was designed
then, and it is desirable now, that any person should
be able to sell beer on equal terms with any other
person, subject only to securitiesfor good behaviour,
whereas, in point of fact, a dealer starting in this
business would be instantly undersold by a publi-
can possessing superior opportunities of trade.
Against this evil the committee direct their princi-
pal suggestions, by recommending that the distinc-
tion between beer-shop and public-house licenses
should be discontinued ; that one uniform license
for the sale of intoxicating drinks should be adopted,
that this should be open to all persons of good
character, on compliance with certain conditions,
and the payment of a certain annual sum. Such
a regulation, it is hoped, would break down the
existing monopoly, and establish a genuine free
trade in beer.

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occasion we may simply reply, that such houses are
attaching to the abuses of the trade. It may very
safely be asserted that no man was ever yet
prevented from getting drunk by the want of a
public-house, nor could the sobriety of a district
possibly be affected by the substitution of three
free houses for one belonging to a brewer. The
adjustment of the supply to the demand may
fairly be left in this, as in all other matters,
to self-regulation. We do not imagine that
more beer or more spirits would be sold under
the operation of the new system than at pre-
sent, though we sincerely hope both spirits and
beer would be found of a better quality and
at a lower charge. As things now stand, the great
brewing firms can:virtually fix and determine the
price of malt liquor at their own discretion, and
without fear of competition. The consequence is
a very high wholesale tariff, and a large adulte-
ration of the commodity before the retail trade
can become remunerative. We are even treated
to one of the special recipes for such an operation :
—" To a barrel of porter, 12 gallons of liquor (the
professional term for water), four pounds of foots,
one pound of salt ; and then there is sometimes, to
bring a head up, a little vitriol, cocculus indicus,
also a variety of things very minute." To so vast
an extent are these delectable practices carried,
that Mr. M'Culloch estimates the mere fraud upon
the revenue by the substitution of water for beer
at one-fourth of the whole malt-tax !
The reader need not be apprehensive of any
increase in these or other immoralities by the
proposed enfranchisement of the le tra • ( —on the
contrary, it is designed in this respect to
give additional powers to the law, which, with
all its present jealousies, provides little effective
security for good conduct, and no sufficient reedy_tn.s
for wrongdoing. How much is to be accompli
hed
in this direction no householder can be slow to feel.
We believe that the public could be served with in-
finitely better articles than at present at materially
smaller charges, if places of entertainment___ we re
but brought under the operation of liberal and
wholesome system of management. In support of
need only this opinion, indeed, we point to the
refreshment department of the Crystal Palace,
were a really economical tariff is found compatible
not only with
good provision,but, as the report of
the company shows, with a satisfactory return.—
Times.

BUENOS AYRES, June 1.--The
i war seems to be engng•
• g all the ideas of your folks n authority, and they are
jen-,iving this part of the world to look after itself, British
interest suffering thereby. We know not what to think
of it, both as regards this and Monte Video. Her Ma-
jesty's steamer Vixen was all well at Buenos Ayres on
June 1, and about to leave for Monte Video—Plymouth,