The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-28 00:00:00

TEE NEW BEER ACT.

. Il_ T
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The new "Beer Act" appears to excite quite a
sensation in the " trade ;" and well may it do so, con-
sidering that it has been smuggled through the House
in such a disreputable way. And the case appears yet
harder, if we take into consideration that the capital
thereby affected is estimated at about 55,000,0001., or
upwards—that the licensed victuallers pay enormous
taxes ; they have their licenses to pay for, and I opine
few escape the doubled income tax. Then, again, there
is the duty on malt and spirits, and the continued sur-
veillance of the police. The fact that, on the one hand,
they are bound to furnish refreshments to a traveller, or
be indicted (Rex v. Hews, 7 c., and p. 219 ; and Rex
v. Leuellin, 1 mod., 445), An action on the case also
lies to recover compensation for any injury in con-
sequence .of such refusal (vide Hawthorn v. Ham-
mond, 1 c., and k. 407 ; Lane v. Cottam, 1 Salk.,
18 Collin's Ca. Godb. 346 • Palm 376 ; 2 Rolls
Reports, 345 ; Newton v. Trig' g, 1 Show 270). It has
also been laid down that an innkeeper may be compelled
by the constable of the town to receive and entertain a
traveller as his guest (5 Ed. IV., 26 ; Dolt, cap. 7 ;
1 Show 268). The question then arises, Who is a
guest ? The word guest is derived from the Saxon
gest," which had the same meaning as the French
"gist" or "gate," the interpretation of which is "a
stage of rest in a journey," ono entertained in the house
of another, a stranger. Again, as laid down by justice
Bailey, in Thompson v. Lacy (3 B. and And. 286), an
inn is defined to be " a house where the traveller is fur-
nished with everything which he has occasion for whilst
on his way." This being the legal definition of the words
"inn" and "guest," it really is a mystery to account
for the very absurd decisions of our magistrates, particu-
larly if they would take into consideration the preamble
to the Ist of James, chapter the 9th.
On the other hand, if the publican unwittingly enter-
tains a person who is a stranger to him, and whom he
really believes to be a traveller (though he may, by possi-
bility, be not so), he is open to the lynx-eyed watchful-
ness of the police, and that of the five shillings and costs
loving magistrates' clerks under the new Beer Act.
What are the licensed victuallers to do ? My humble
advice to them is, that they should organise themselves
—form districts, with a board of management—try two
or three cases, preconcerted and definitively ascertained
from legal authorities, who is and who is not a " travel-
ler"—also to use their Parliamentary influence in order
to obtain the material and sufficient alteration of the
before-mentioned act.

Are the police to be continually lurking about the
doors of respectable inns, when crimes of far greater mag-
nitude are being carried on ? Let them look to the
" soil" shops out of which parties come reeling—the
parties professing to sell "soil," and having the word
" soil" burnt on the ends of their barrels, when really
and in fact they are selling beer. But, irrespective of
the interests of the " trade," and taking this measure
into consideration in a Sabbatarian point of view, it must
be evident that you cannot make men by act of Parlia-
ment more moral or religious than they are inclined to
be. If the Sabbatarians wish to work a good, let them
agitate for the education of the people. If you cleanse
the moral character of the people, their conduct will be
in accordance therewith ; but as for making a people
better by act of Parliament than they are naturally dis-
posed to be has been incontestably proved by the result
of a decree of one of the ancient republican cities. Then,
again, the honest, hard-working artisan, who has to earn
his bread by the sweat of his brow, who goes to bed
when he has done his work, and has to rise early to
begin it, and whose only leisure time is on the Sunday,
who, if he takes a walk to inhale the fresh air whicb,
God hath given, to us all in common, and gets a few
miles from home, cannot obtain refreshment. Parties
going to christenings, burials, or to see the
grave of some departed parent, child, or 'friend
(having no friends there), though requiring, cannot obtain
refreshment ; in fact, there are innumerable instances in
which the act presses upon the people, and on the poor
more especially. The wealthy have it at home and can
enjoy themselves there. The Sabbatarian, whilst advo-
cating the new Beer Act, sits sipping his wine with all
the gusto in the world. Under the new act, the result

is, to my certain knowledge, that there is a larger amount
of wrong committed than prior to its enactment. Where
a working man got his glass of beer before in a respectable
inn open to the surveillance of the police, he now fetches
it out in bottles, jugs, tin cans, and even pails. Parties
congregate together in the fields, in barns, shippons,
stables, and in very many cases in the house of one of the
party, where the children see and hear all the demoralis-
ing proceedings of the bacchanalian party, and in this
instance gaming to a great extent is carried on, and that
where the police can have no effectual surveillance. Your
correspondent begs to suggest that it would be far more
conducive to public morality if the inns were opened to
travellers until eleven in the evening, admitting every
stranger as a traveller who signs his name and address in.
a book to be kept for that purpose, and let him be amen-
able for either giving a wrong address or falsely stating
himself to be a traveller. Have it definitively defined
" who is a traveller," and well would it be if the beer-

houses were closed altogether on the Sundays. It

would be much better if our members of Parliament
would attend more to the details of the laws of the land
than to hunting, shooting, fishing, and drinking wine,
and that on Sundays too.—l am, Mr. Editor, yours.
FAIRPLAY.
Enfield, Sept. 23d, 1854.

THE CM CHURCHES.—Yesterday an important Par•
lia,mentary document was issued, of the churches in each
parish in the City of London ; the names, residences,
and income of the clergy; showing also the number of
sittings in each church. There are 60 churches in the
list, and only a few of the incumbents reside within the
City. The largest income is 2,081/. 9s. 4d., for St. Bo-
tolph, Bishopsgate ; and the smallest but one is 401., for
St. Helen, B:shopsgate. The average attendance, in-

cluling children, iR remarkable, compared with the
church accommodation. In ono church (St. Laurence

Jury and St. Mary Magdalen, Milk-street), with sittings
for 1,000 persons, the average attendance is only 30.
The incumbent resides at Hampstead. The income is

3101. a-year. The services in January, on Sundays,
were 2 ; and, on week-days, 3. At another church, with
700 sittings, the average attendance is 30. The fees re-

ceived inJaunary last were very snrill. The largest
amount wag 551., and the smallest 2s. The communi-
cants are very limited, compared with the attendances,
and the baptisms by no means numerous. The return
was procured at the instance of Dr. Phillimore, with
reference to the proposed removal of some of the City
churches.
THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS OF THE METROPOLIS.--The
various medical schools in the metropolis, almost with-
out an exception, commence their winter course of
studies, both in the lecture-rooms and in the hospitals,
on Monday next, the 2d of October. The onlynew
school of medicine that opens on the approach of the
coming winter medical session is that recently established
and oreanised in connection with St. Mary's Hospital,
Paddington, near to the terminus of the Great Western
Railway. Since the close of the last session, the new
building of King's College Hospital, at the back of Lin-
eoln's-inn.fields, in Portugal-street, has advanced ra
pidly towards completion, and is even now so far com-
pleted as to be open for the reception and treatment of
patients. The part of the building at present completed
consists of the department f,,r out-patients, separate
wards for nearly one hundred in patients, the dispensary,
a chapel, and rooms for performing surgical operations.
The first floor of the building is designed to contain
apartments for the dispenser and house steward, with
the laboratory, and servants' accommodation. The
ground floor of the building will comprise the dis-
pensary, accident wards, and other appendages, whilst
the other•floors are so constructed as to contain bath-
rooms and wards for various classes of patients.

THE THANKSGIVING DAT.—The local authorities of
the town of Guildford have announced that on Sunday
next being the day appointed for a general thanksgiving
for the abundant. harvest, collections will be made after
the several services in the churches of that town in aid
of the widows and orphans of those persons who have
died in London of the cholera. This is certainly a very
laudable example, coming from the market town of a
peculiarly agrilultural county, and worthy of imitation,
not only in other counties, but particularly in the metro-
polis. The Bishop of Oxford has advised his clergy
throughout the diocese to make collections on that day.
but recommending their appropriation on behalf of the
Cuddesden Training Institution.
THE ALBAN AT ABO.—The following is an extract

from e. letter from the Baltic :—" Her Majesty's ship
Alban, on the 12th inst., received orders from Rear-Ad-
miral H. B. Martin to transport 25 Russian prisoners,
nine being officers, and several of the soldiers wounded,
from Bomarsund to Abo. Every attention and kindness
was shown to them, which they cordially appreciated ;
and, after twice grounding in getting on shore, the last
quite defying all present efforts to get the vessel off, Cap-
tain Otter decided on proceeding to Abo (a distance of
13 miles) in his gig, witk a flag of truce flying, to request
the authorities there to send for the prisoners. On his
arrival at the port he met a Russian steamer, and on
communicating he delivered the Commander-in• Chief's
despatches, which were immediately forwarded to the
governor of the district,;and orders sent to the captain of
the Nordvakten to proceed with a lighter to the assis-
tance of the Alban. After a strenuous though ineffec-
tual effort to launch her into deep water, which strained

the Russian's engines, she left with the wounded officers
and men for Abo, promising to return the following
morning with further assistance. In the afternoon ;of
the following day she returned with another steamer in
company, towing at the same time a large fiat-bottomed
punt. Happily these adjuncts were dispensed with, as
the Alban was hove off by the vigorous exertions of her
own crew. On the fortunate occurrence of the Alban
sliding off the rock the Ruaian officers gave a 1-,ud
regret
tparted
that
natioual 'hurrah ;' indicating their identity with
the safety of the ship they had been so long
on board. On the Saturday the
aa g
officersre d
with many expressions of goodwill, and
they could not present souvenirs for the hospitality they
had received, and the English on the following day (Sun-
day) were much mystified in seeing their old friend, the
Nordvakten, towing a cutter. Speculation was rife in
every man's mind,—what could be the object of their
visit ? Thee conjectures were coon set at rest by the
Flag-Lieutenant, Baron von Bioge, coming on board,
stating that he had been requested by General iVendt,
Commander-in-Chief at Abo, to request the acceptance
of a bullock, some sheep, potatoes, &e., for the crew,
.
and cream and butter, with a cask of capital
had .Madelr.t-
for the officers, as the prisoners (officers) informed
him that they had ' polished off' the remainings
stock of
the shelry,"
°
1
CHlNA.—According to the telegraphic afecAoltlgnutestf,rom
China yesterday, which reach to the 6th the
rate of exchange has at length
whihivieclrifrwoimll
thin
ed
onen experienced a decline,
the shipments of
oniantetrryia.lly to lessen