The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-18 00:00:00

TIIE NEW BEER ACT.

Yesterday afternoon a meeting of licensed victuallers
was held at the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-
street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, for the purpose of conferring
on how they are affected by the Sunday Closing Act of
last session, and to determine on the best course to be
pursued by them under the circumstances.
Mr. SIMPSON, of Cremorm,gardens, was called to the
chair, and at, some length set forth the inconvenience to
which the trade was subjected by the new bill, and his
surprise that nothing more effectual had been done to
defeat it during its progress through parliament. He
then complained in strong langu,ge of the bad faith
with which the trade had been treated by the Licensed
Victuallers' Protection Society, who had been parties
to the bill, and of the daily organ of the trade. It sug-
gested itself to him that it would be expedient for them
now that it had passed and had come into operation,
severally to state how far it affectel their business, and
then collectively to determine on some course which it
would be advisable for them to pursue. He himself
thought that they ought to appoint a deputation to
wait on Lord Palmerston, and get the public to co-
operate with them, by getting up petitions for presenta-
tion next session, praying for the repeal of the late act.
Mr. LUCE, of Hampton-court, said that the views
and position of the suburban hotel keepers were not
quite identical with those of the metropolitan members
of the trade. Those residing in his own district had
lately held a meeting in reference to the question, at
which they resolved to keep their houses open during
the prohibited hours, and to serve their Sunday cus-
tomers, whom they regarded as " bonA fide travellers."
On that resolution they had acted, and would continue
to act until the Court of Queen's Bench should decide
who was a traveller. He knew that they had been
reported for having done so, but was uncertain
whether they would be summoned for it immedi-
ately, or whether they would he cautioned by the police
that they were infringing the law, and be summoned
for a repetition of the practice. The suburban trade
wished for a clear definition of the word traveller, and
he thought they ought to wait on Sir Richard Mayne to
ask him to furnish them with one.

Mr. HINTON informed the meeting that he had waited
on Sir Richard Mayne in referen:e to ins supplying his
customers with tea and confectionery, but he regretted
that he had omitted to bring under his notice the ques-
tion of what constituted a traveller.

Mr. LUCE continued to say that the privi:ege of
serving tea and confectionery or plain dinners would be
no boon to such as he, as it was only on their wines
that they had any profit.
Mr. FOSTER, of the Railway Tavern, Fenchurch-
street station, accused the Protection Society and their
daily organ of having dealt treacherously by the trade.
Mr. HINTON made a similar statement.
Mr. FOSTER then said that such conduct, in hi. 3 opin-
ion, would justify the meeting in coming to a resolution
censuring both the Protection Society and the paper in
question, and declared that they had forfeited the con-
fidence of the trade, by sacrificing the interests of the
largest portion of it for the advantage of the few.
Mr. Lucy seconded the resolution.
Mr. HARRIS thought they ought not to provoke the
hostility of a powerful society, which had large funds in
hand, and which would aid them next session in op-
posing the worst measure with which the trade was
threatened.

Air. WHITE stated his concurrence in the views of
Mr. Harris.
The CHAIRUM,said thatilibia opintm of the society
was, that theylaad endeavoured to bamboozle him. It
was absurd to say that they could have done nothing in
opposing the bill. He was sure that when he, an indi-
vidual, had been able to get it considerably modified,
the society could, by an earnest opposition, have defeat-
ed it. They showed such jealousy of his interference,
that he believed that the bill had been promoted by
them as a compromise to prevent the trade being thrown
open, and he challenged them to deny that they got the
Blshop of London to move for the rejection of Lord
Harrowby's amendment. To prevent such treachery for
the future they would form a Protection Society fur
themselves, and estabilsh a paper of their own.
After some further discussion, the resolution was
unanimously agreed to.
A deputation was then appointed to wait on Lord
Palmerston, a form of petition agreed to, a Protection
Society formed, and a subscription entered into to form
its fund ; after which the proceedings terminated in the
usual manner.

THE LICENSED VICTUALLERS.—A large and influen-
tial meeting of this body took place at Manchester on
Tuesday evening, when the new Beer Bill, closing pub-
lic-houses on Sundays at earlier hours, was very strongly
condemned as interfering with the rights of the public
and the vested interests of a trade comprising 60,000
people, and 2.000,000/. sterling of property. The per-
sons pledged themselves not only to resist further legis-
lation in the same direction, but to take steps for repeal.
ing the obnoxious measure.