The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-30 00:00:00

EXCISE INFORMATION

ADULTERATION OF BEM—Lord Sydney, the Rev.
Sir Charles Farnaby, Bart., and a full Bench of Magis-
trates, assembled at the police-hall, Bromley, Kent,! last
week, to hear an information which had been filed at
the instance of the Commissioners of Excise,' against
William.Epps, the keeper of the Three Tuns, in Becken-
ham, charging him with adulterating his beer. The pe-
nalties sought,tO be recovered amounted to 1,400.
Mr. Mayow appeared on the part of the Crown, and
Mr. Hobler defended the accused, who pleaded 4, Not
Guilty."
Mr. Mayow, having stated the case, called
Mr. Golding Bird, the surveying-general examiner
of Excise, who stated that in consequence of numerous
complaints made to the government, in July last, of the
bad quality of the beer retailed in Beckenham, he, with
Mr. William Bullen, visited that quarter, and amongst
~Q,thel: houses enterod that kept by..the defendant,- who, •
on being told their errand, conducted them into-the
Havingcellar. obtained from the puncheon of beer on
draught a sampe, he tasted it, and without applying the
usual test discovered that it had been most grossly adul.;.-
terated, and told the defendant so. This he- strenuously
denied, declaring that he had put nothing into it but a
little sugar ; but on witness drawing his attention to a
solution of stuff on the head of the cask, and telling
him that the contents were• totally unfit for con-
sumption, he admitted that he had- mixed with the
beer a handful of salt, and two buckets of water.
Witness knowing that colouring matter had also bee°
put into the beer, afterwards searched the house, and in
the bed-room found some of that article,• besides other
ingredients used in the adulteration of beer. Of the beer
On draught, and. that as it came from the brewery, wit-
ness took samples, which he produced. The samples
were uncorked, and the stench arising. from that adulte-
rated was really dreadful.- That taken from the puncheon
as delivered, was fresh and good.
Mr. Hobler asked whether there was anything per-
nicious in the beer ? Mr: Bird—l will not swear
whether there was or was not, • but it was altogether
unfit to be _drunk, and that its effect upon the system of
any one drinking it, must have been very baneful. Adul-
teration causes a second fermentation, which produces
diarrhoea and other diseases to a fearful extent.
LOrd SYDNEY-wished to know how long the defendant
bad kept the house.? Mr. Bird—The defendant told me 4
3-ears. He said he had not been playing tricks with his
beer: longer than a year and a half. He stated that an
old publican_ had put him up to it.
Lord SYDNEY—What did you say to that ? You very
likely have introduced this old publican to the Commis"
sioners before now, and caused.him to be fined. If yoti
have not, I dare say your zeal will direct you to 101,
and accord him a just punishment. Mr. merely
said the old publican, whoever he be, was no friend of
his, and for the future he had better be an honest man,
and deal fairly with his neighbours.
Lord SYDNEY, after consulting with his brother col-
leagues, said there is only one decision they,could arrive
at, and that he was persuaded was a just one. It was to
find the defendant guilty, fine-the defendant one hundred
pounds, and order a distress to be immediately levied on
his goods to enforce payment.

SEA-LIONS.
(From the first number of a new Paris Paper called the
Journal de la 'tate.
In 1825 the Captain of the *krench corvette Victoria,
while at anchor in the Bay of Tunis, bought of a Moor-
ish merchant two lion's whelps of the mount Atlas
breed, The whelps made themselVes perfectly at
home in their floating habitation ; they grew up
and became lions—seq.-lions as they were. Under the
tutorship of Van Amburg and Carter they received an
accomplished education, and were allowed to go entirely
free ; the length and breadth of the ship were equally at
their disposal ;- they were docile and beautifully 'tame ;
they rolled and played like brothers with the cabin-bqs;
- and seemed, to understand all- that .passed. 1
theni; At the . 'goni of review, they
ob•6sO ""
ved as
strains of fife and ' tambour were nothing obsrre,,tho
quiet'majesty at the side of the drum,
whenever a
the regiment defiled. "One of their faa:s.tohnhydperiibrtocacyredesm.emree
was to run to the port-holes of the
°nrible chasms; that
theyn :Ilse: manesto e
strange boat hailed them.. Theirbeads
then jutted out like those of tivo
naced, and their jaws resembled
the
men on
to face with these
At this unexpected ap
frightened the visitors. Once
wonderfully delighted at
htlote panicfiwitatewigtoerhis boat ran the-
when at the top of the
American Commodore,
slaindgduerla,r
mastersfotind ohfimoosrreeelcinponfae
pearance he leaped p
whole round of the - on they opposite
contentedgoeftcencent-rated unger
e,atlhyttiocesame
faces,
side ; but there
himself with eryinrgea_y
d to visit
that he was very . _ the commander, but re-
fusedleything to do w
to have ',with his , sentinels. The
out in
his .
commodore, thus _ having self importance wounded,
complained to the Admiral against the lions of
the Victoria. They were enchained ; their native ferocity
finchin'cgss,
;wain regained its sway ; and they were obliged to be
trust into a cage 'of iron. The unfortunate animals
could not stomach this insulting treatment ; a lOwmelan-
cho'y succeeded to some days of furious rage, they fell
iii, and soon afterdied, ' to
the
regret of the whole ship's
cimpany.

The story of thesa Lions of Atlas bears great affinity
to that of some sea-officers—a strange race—of a fierce
and independent character—of carriage free and degugee
—of a character irreproachable, worthy in- every point
to be entitled Lions of the Sea. Their exquisite manners
attract wonderfully in a strange land ; they have about
them the perfume of aristocracy which seduces, and is as
Charming on land as at sea. 'They have no idea
of that straitjacket thing, economy ; but . make
debts on an illimitable method. For all moveables and
immoveables-they have their epaulets •
Let our Lion::: run the whole length of the cable, and
they are unequivocally fine fellows, but contradict in
any way their generous impulses—cnly muzzle them in
any shape, and the same result will arise as 911bogd
the Victoria—you will lose -all, your lions.

•.
THUNDER STORNI.—We were visited at UI-
..
verstone, on Saturday sennight, with a. dreadful thunder-
storm, which coinmenced soon after three o'clock in the Morn-
ing, and lasted several hours. Aliale. after four o'clock the
warringelements reached their climax of hostility. The light-
ning struck the earth clo-e to the Ure Mill-dam, and pierced
through the root of a tree. Nt sericus damage has been sus-
tained by the lightning that we have beard 01 in our horthere
distriet.—Lancaster Guardian, . .•

SECOND EDITION

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

Lord MELBOURNE in the House of Lords,
and Lord JOHN RUSSELL in the House of Com-
mons, have announced the resignation of
Ministers, •and both HouSes have adjourned
till Monday next. LORD JOHN RUSSELL and
LORD STANLEY each made a brief speech. LORD
MELBOURNE announced the fact in the fewest
possible words.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The Earl of SuAFTEsnuaY took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Three o'Clock. The Bishops of Winchester and
several other Peers took the oaths and their seats, after
which the House Adjourned during pleasure.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his sent on the Wool-
sack at the usual hour. A great number of Pears were
assembled, including his Loyal Highness the Duke of
Sussex.

Lord DUNCANNON presented the returns relating
to emigration to Jamaica, moved for a few evenings
itgo by Lord Brougham.
The Bishop of London brought in thQ Incumbents'
Leases' Bill.