The Sun.
London, England, 1838-07-09 00:00:00

BEER-SHOPS.

TO THE EDITOR 01' THE SUN.
SlR—Lord Melbourne Made a short speech the other
night on the Coro-laws, which was much cheered by Noble
Lords on both sides of the House. Speaking of com-
mercial interests, be said " they could not prosper—they
could not thrive under a system of frequent fluctuation
arid change. There was great danger in the change,
and next to the change itself, was to be feared and
dreaded the constant apprehension of change." These
words sounded well in the ears of great landed proprietors,
and I ask them to apply the same law to others which
they would lay down for themselves. But a few nights
afterwerls a death warrant was issued against an Act for
the sale of beer, passed du. jag the administration of the
Duke of Wellington, about three years after the present
Corn-law Act, and on this occasion their Lordships cheered
lustily for change. Nothing was said about the mischief
of frequent fluctuations or the restless spirit of the age,
or the loss which this making and unmaking of laws entails
upon private individuals, though the Act in question was in
its infancy compared with their femous Corn-law Act. It
night have occurred to them that avast number of persons in
town and country had laid out considerable property,in many
instances, all their property, in hiring and fitting up houses
fur the sale of beer ; and that the sudden repeal of the
Act would entail great hardship, and perhaps rein, on a
t number of those persons who had confided in the sta-
bility of the law. The plea, however, is the injury which
beer does to the lower classes ; but it is a singular coinci-
dence that though there pare been occasional complaints
ft.( ter magistrates and parsons of the mischief done by these
beer-shops, the outcry should become so loud at the pre-
sent moment, when the licenced victuallers petition against
them. I have a great respect for that body ; 1 applaud
them for their unity of purpose, for their charitable institu-
tions, for their anxiety to provide education for their chil-
dren and relief for agedand decayed members ; and because
I believe them to be actuated by good feelings. I appeal
to them in behalf of the thousands of men, women, and
children, that would suffer by any change of the law. It is
also singular that petitions should have been presented
from bankers, merchants, and householders, against the
beer-shops in Bristol, Manchester, and other large towns,
while no complaints are made against plants where
" beer plus gin" (words used by Lord Brien:on/1m)
are sold. If beer is injurious to 1.1,e morals of
the peop!e, gin and brandy are still worse If it is in-
jurious to drink till ten o'clock in the evening, the hour at
which the former places must close, it must be still more
injurious to drink all night ; and if the reason is good for
suppressing the one, a Arl;ori it is good for suppressing the
other. Let equal justice then be done, let the death-warran
go forth against all public-houses, where the men only learn
to neglect their wives, spend money that should go to the
support and comfort of their children, rail against the
Government, speak treason, plan burglaries, hatch con-
spiracies, quarrel and fight with their comrades, the finish
of which is a fight with the police, or a curtain lecture, and
a quarrel with their best friends. Why should the Lords
overlook all these and many more evils, and fasten upon
the poor hard-worked peasants, who have seldom a sixpence
to spare—who cannot brew their own beer, and who, con-
sequently, by the repeal of this Act, will be the only class
to whom this main irrredient of " Old English cheer" is
debarred P The Lords know nothing of the wants and
habits of the lower classes. Lord Brougham would deprive
them of beer, the Bishop of London would forbid skittles,
and Mr. Plumptre will not allow them to enjoy the country
air on Sunday. If things go on in this way, they may
well cry for Universal Lffrage, Or, as Mr. O'Connell says,
for a Parliament of their own. When the Bill comes from
the House of Lords, the people will sec whether their
friends in the Commons are able to protect them against
this renewed attempt to meddle with their enjoyments.
A BEER-DRINKER.

TIIE NEW NOVELS.—We are requested to state
that the following New Works of Fiction are just published by Mr.
Bentley, New Burlington-street; and may be lad of all Booksellers,
and at all the Libraries Homeward Bound ; or, the Chase. A
Story of the Sea. By the Author of "The Pilot;"" The Red Rover."
&c. 11. The Nabob's Wife. By the Author of " Village Remi-
niscences." 111. Topsail Shect Blocks; or, The Naval Foundling.
By the Old Sailor Author of "Tough Yarns," &c. &c. Illustrated by
George Cruikshank. IV. The Vicar of Wrexhill. By Mrs. Trollope;
S cond Edition, with Illustrations. V. The Sqnire. By the Authcr
of " The Merchant's Daughter," "The 114ress," &c. VI. Traditions
of Chelsea College. Ey the Author of "The Subaltern" (Mr. Gleig).
VII. The Elopement. By tbe Author of Robert D'Artois." VIIL
The Old Commodore. Ily,the Author of " Itattlin the Reefer," &c.
IX. The Bivouac ; or, Stories of the Peninsular War. By the Author
of "Stories of Waterloo," &c. X. Jack Brag. By Theodore Hook,
Esq. Second Edition, with Illustrations. XL Crichton. By the
Author of " Rookwood. Second Edition. RII. Vandeleur ; or,
Animal Magnetism. And XIII. A New and Cheaper Edition, in 3
v.ds., post Bvo., price 155., of Mr. Lover's "Rory O'More; witq
15 Characteristic Illustrations by the Author. •

Tn E SPAS OF GERMANY.—The time is fast
approaching when uur fasliionablC tourists will be preparing fur a visit to

these delightful watering, places ; either to reertht—the health. amuse
the mind, see the world, m become au fait with all the gossip of a!1 the
Courts, and all the great families in Europe: To all such we particularly
recommend Dr. Granville's valuable guide to the German Spas. Not
cnly does he pree;:t us with a fuller, more minute, and practical ac..
count of the German mineral springs than has ever bellne been given
to the public,'ccnveyed; too, in a popular and pleasing form, but his
book Is so lively and amusing as to justify the apology in his preface for
the light and varied style in which he has treated the subject. No tn.-
yeller to Germany should depart without putting this work in his

portmante:iu.
The inhabitants of•Holbeacli set on foot a subscrip-
tion for the purpose of giving a feast to the poor on the day of the Coro-
nation, when about 401. was got together. This sum being quite inado.
q ate, the Vicar was solicited to set an example to those who refused to
subscribe unless he did, and to give a sum of money towards the enter.
tainment. The net. Gentleman resisted every importunity, in conse-
quence of which the money was returned to the subscribers. On Fri.
d;ty n‘ght, about twe:ve o'clock, the poor people who had been disap-
pointed of their anticipated rejoicings through the Vicar, assembled in
vast numbers before his house, on which they made a desperate attack,
first breaking the windows and ultimately pulling down the premises.
thrte parts of which thesy levelled with the ground.