The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-31 00:00:00

EXCISE INFORMATION

ADULTERATION OF BEER.—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 tad been filed at
the instance of the Commissioners of Excise, against
Wil!iarn 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. Mayomi appeared on the part of the Crown, and
Mr. Hobler defended the accused, who pleaded 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 Pullen, visited that quarter, and amongst
other houses entered that kept by the defendant, who,
on being told their errand, conducted them into the
cellar. having obtained from the puncheon of beer on
draught a sample, be tasted it, and without applying thn
usual test discovered that it had been most grossly adul-
terated, and told the defendant se,. This he strormouAy
5e..1..1.-ee1...-ing that he 1..1 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 been
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
had kept the house ? Mr. Bird—The defendant told me 4
years. 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 you
have not, I dare say your zeal will direct you to him,
and accord him a just punishment. Mr. Bird—l 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

Journid de la Flltte.

In 1825 the Captain of the French 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—sea-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-boys,
and seemed to understand all that passed. The
strains of fife and tambour were nothing obscure to
them. At the hour of review, they sat with
quiet majesty at the side of the drum, and observed as
the regiment defiled. One of their favourite customs
was to run to the port-holes of the ship whenever a
strange boat hailed them. Their heads and yellow manes
then jutted out like those of two Gorgons, their eyes me-
naced, and their jaws resembled two terrible chasms, that
frightened the visitors. Once the men on board were
wonderfully delighted at the panic they caused to an
American Commodore, who, "when at the top of the
ladder, found himself face to face with these
singular masters of ceremony. At this unexpected ap-
pearance he leaped precipitately into his boat, ran the
whole round of the vessel to get on the opposite
side ; but there finding the same faces, contented
himself with crying out in a voice of concentrated anger
that lie was very ready to visit the commander, but re-
fused to have anything to do with his sentinels. The
commodore, thus having his self importance wounded,
complained to the Admiral against the lions of
the Victoria. They were enchained ; their native ferocity
again regained its sway ; and they were obliged to be
thrust into a cage of iron. ' The unfortunate animals
could not stomach this insulting treatment ; a low melan-
choly succeeded to some days of furious rage, they fell
ill, and soon after died, to the regret of the whole ship's
company.
The story of these 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 degagee
—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 i_sens
charming on land as at sea. They have no flia
idea
of that strait-jacket thing, economy
debts on an illimitable method. For all movcab, csr and
immoveables they have their epaulets
Let our Lions run the whole length of
the
they are unequivocally fine fellows, butc them in
metarabdleiu, and
any way their generous impulses—only muzzle
any shape, and the same result wBI arise as on board
the Victoria—you will lose all your lions.

. .
THUNDER STORM.— were visited We at Ul.
verstcne, on Saturday se'nnight, with a dreadful thunder-
storm* which commenced soon after three o'clock in the morn-
ing, awd la,sted several hours. A little after four o'clock the
warring elements reached their climax of hostility. The light-
ning struck the earth awe to the Ure Mill-darn, and pierced
through the root of a tree. No serious damage has been stn..
tained by the lightning that we have heard of in our uorthem
district.--Lanoaster Guardia».