The Sun.
London, England, 1823-05-13 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

Mn. ED/TOIL,--The CHANCELLOR of the Ex.
CHEQUER'S NEW BEER BILL may now be consi-
dered as having passed into a law; and of course
is become a fair subject of examination.
The professed object of the measure is, to provide the poor
man (including, 1 suppose, the mechanic) with a cheap beve-
rage ; but a beverage to be cheap must be useful, otherwise
the purchaser if it, will find it a dear one. How far the beer
allowed to be brewed by this act will answer that description I
shall proceed to shew.
Good malt in the hands of a skilful brewer will produce 4
density of Nibs. per quarter.
Moderately strong beer, fit for the publican, may be stated
at 301bs. per barrel; table-beer at from II to 121bs ; and the
new bey, reckoning at 5i barrels to the quarter of malt, at
15,}lbs.
The beer duty on the strong beer is at the rate of about
3s. Id. per bushel of the malt used in the brewing of it, on the
table beer 25., and on the new beer something more on
the strong.
If the above statement is correct, and I believe it cannot be
controverted, what is become of the boon promised to the poor
man ? he is to pay 10d. per gallon instead of 6d., or two-thirds
more, for a beer tbat, with the best materials, and under the
best management, will be little more than one-fourth stronger,
and, with indifferent malt, will be about the same strength;
which will neither support him in his labour, nor keep -him
from resorting to the alehouse in search of a more palatable
drink.

A more cruel mockery never was practised on the public; in-
deed the Act may be considered as nugatory;_ for what man,
understanding. the brewing business, will build a brewery, set
up an expensive establishment, and subject himself to all the
onerous regulations and heavy penalties of the Act, to brew a
beer which he has no chance of selling ?
Had the length allowed to be brewed been from 4 to 4i
(41 on the average,) barrels, per quarter of malt, the strength
would not have exceeded 19 lbs. per barrel, far below that of
publicans' beer ; yet it would have sold in considerable quan.
tities, and have been of real service to the community.
The beer duty would then have been 2s. Od. per bushel on the
malt used, or such a proportionate duty as the preamble to the
Act would lead one to expect.
We can now only wait the event of the bill that Mr. BROUGHAM
has promised to bring in, for the purpose of altering the mode
of licencing public houses, and wish him success ; and when
that measure is in progress, if you will allow me, I shall take
the liberty, of oiThring some observations on it, through the
medium of your excellent Paper.
I am, Sir, your humble Servant,
A BREWER.

DREADFUL Ft R E.-4 Lady burnt to Death.—
An alarming fire burst forth, at twelve o'clock
last night, at the house of Mr. GOTTI, New-
street, Covent-Garden, which very soon de-
stroyed the house and some premises in a court
behind : the adjoining houses were partially de-
stroyed.—A very melancholy catastrophe oc-
curred from the suddenness and rapidity of the
flames ; the inmates were obliged to jump from
the windows into the street ; an old lady ap-
peared at an 'attic window, and for a length of
time uttered the most appalling shrieks, seem-
ingly not understanding the intreaties of the
multitude to jump out, a bed being placed in
the street to receive her : at-length a ladder was
raised, and a man intrepidly ascended, but just
as he arrived at the window' the unfortunitte
lady uttered a piercing cry, and sunk with the
floor through the ruins, and has not since been
found. Tim man was obliged to jump from the
ladder to save his life.

Sulu' n E.—Yesterday afternoon, an Inquest
was held at the Windsor Castle, Francis-street, Tothillfields,
before Mr. limos, Coroner, on the body of Charlotte Miller,
who cut her throat. The deceased was a fine young woman,
in the keeping of a certain individual, and had tin infant ten
months old. Verdict—" The deceased met her death, by her
own act, having cut her throat in a fit of delirium."
. ._ _ _

Early on ridgy morning some incendiaries
broke into the vestry of St. George's Chapel, Portsea, and after
forcing open all the locked up places therein, in search of dis-
posable property, they maliciously set fire to the book shelves,
a bureau, &e. which destroyed a great many papers and
books; but fortunately the fire . was discovered by
one of the inhabitants living opposite, who hastened to
the spot, and succeeded in arresting its progress before any
material injury was done to the building. Two men have
been taken up on suspicion, and tools found at their apart-
ments which correspond with the marks made in ripping
open the doors, &c. It is very remarkable that the Portsea
Watch-honsc is in the same chapel yard, close to the vestry,
and none of the watchmen appeared to have heard any noise, or
knew any thing of the circumstance, till after the fire was
extinguished.