The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-07 00:00:00

PUBLIC-HOUSES (SCOTLAND)

Report from the Select Committee appointed to take
into consideration the system of granting certificates for
public-houses in Scotland, and to whom a petition of the
ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland (Mode-
rator), for the better observance of the Lord's Day, was
referred (just laid upon the table of the House cf Com-
mons):-
1. That the number of the houses in which spirits are
sold for consumption on the premises is excessive, and
ought to be restricted ; and in particular, that the num-
ber of such houses of inferior class is excessive, and pro-
ductive of evil, and that it would be expedient to repress
the evil arising therefrom. •
2. That the facility with which licenses for the sale of
spirits to be consumed on the premises are obtained, is
one main cause of the excessive number of such houses,
and of their indiscriminate character. _

3. That the combination of the trade of grocers and
vendors of other commodities with the trade of vendors
of spirits to be consumed on the premises, is, especially
in towns, productive of evil consequences to the working
classes.

4. That great inconvenience arises from the circum-
stance that the Excise licences are in force from October
to October annually, while the occupation of houses and
shops in Scotland is almost universally from Whit-Sun-
day to Whit Sunday, and certificates are commonly
granted in May.
5. That with the view of diminishing the number, and
improving the character of houses for the sale of spirits
to be consumed on the premises, and with the view of
securing a better apportionment of the number of such
houses to the wants of each particular district, it is expe-
dient that the system of granting certificates should be
altered and amended.

6. That at their meeting on the 30th of April, the
Justices of the Peace of each county should appoint a
committee of their own number for the purpose of ascer-
taining and fixing the number of public-houses neces-
sary for the wants of each locality or district. That
this committee, after full inquiry, should fix the num-
ber for each district for a certain number of years pro-
spectively, and that such decision of the committee
should be final

7. That at the same meeting the Justices of the Peace
should appoint local committees to act in the several
localities or districts, in granting or renewing certifi-
cates, and that the decision of every such local committee
should be final. _

8. That no certificate to any new party should be
granted until the number of public houses in the district
or locality shall have heel' reduced to the number fixed
by the general committee first mentioned, without a
special reference to and approval by the said committee,
and in no case should more than one such new certificate
be granted in any one district in any year.
9. That each local committee should fix the minimum
rent of houses to the occupants of which new licenses
may be granted, and the minimum rent having been so
fixed, the same should not be altered without the con-
sent of the general committee.
10. That there should be one certificate for keeping a
common inn, alehouse, or victualling house, in which,
beer, cider, or perry shall be sold to be drank or con-
sumed on the premises, and a separate certificate for
keeping a common inn, alehouse, or victualling house, in
which spirits, &c. shall be sold to be drunk or consumed
on the premises ; and that there should be separate li-
censes to correspond with the separate certificates.
11. That no certificate for keeping a common inn,
alehouse, or victualling house, where beeror spirits are
sold to be consumed on the premises, and no license for
such sale of beer or spirits should be granted to any
person who sells groceries or such like commodities, un-
less special permission to tl at effect shall be annexed to
the certificate, and subscribed in like manner as the cer-
tificate.

12. That in no case should a certificate for license be
granted to any person whose character is not satisfac-
torily attested on the personal knowledge of the at-
Lstators, each of whom should add to his signature a
statement that the attestation is made on his personal
knowledge.
13. That there should be a license for the sale of
spirits to be consumed on the premises, distinct and
separate from the retail license.
14. That no certificate should be necessary to entitle
any person to a license to retail spirits not to be con-
sumed on the premises.
15. That it is very expedient that the period of the
currency of excise licenses should be made to corre-
spond, as nearly as po3sible with the period of the occu-
pation of the premises, viz., Whitsunday to Whitsunday.
16. That no certificate should be granted for a license
to the occupant of a toll-house, in any case in which
there is a licensed public-house within two or three
miles of such toll-house on the same road; nor unless
the aforesaid general committee shall have resolved that
a license for such toll-house is necessary for the conveni-
ence of the district in which it is situate.

17. That the remuneration to the clerks in respect of
the matter of certificates shall be by a fixed annual sum,
and not by fees on each certificate.

VAUXIIALL-GARDENS.—Thefite of St. George, which
was celebrated here on Wednesday, was attended by more than
the usual number of visitors. The weather was propitious,
and though up till a late hour in the day the clouds were
lowering, the night cleared up, and patronised the patron
saint. The attractions of the evening were increased by the
ascent of the coronation balloon, which took place at t_n
o'clock, in the presence of several thousand spectators', from
the firework-ground. It took a direction towards Richmond,
a light wind blowing at that moment from the east. When
at a tolerably lofty elevation, Mr. Green, who was alone in
the car, discharged the fireworks, suspended at a cmisider-
able distance beneath him. The effect of this p 3 rotechnie
display was splendid beyond what is usually exhibited. The
remainder of the entertainments, consisting of equestrian
performances, the songs of the Ethiopian harmonista, the
fireworks, and the dancing, kept the company on a perpetual
qui vine for many hours, nor was it till long past midnight
that the gay throng thought of going home, and left the
gardens to peace and quietude.

The above list does not include surveying or other vessels
employed on " particular service," whose terms of commis-
sion are not defined, as a:e the other ships in the Royal
Navy. We may add to the above the America, 50, Captain
the Hon. J. Gordon, hourly expected from the Pacific with
valuable freight, but whose term of service will not expire
until February next.

A terrific thunder-storm visited this place this morning be-
tween the hours of three and five o'clock, creating the most
alarming consternation among the inhabitants, none of
whom had ever experienced anything like it before. The

lightning continued to flash as if in one uninterrupted blaze
of various hues during the whole time, and long after day-
light the storm continued. Peal after peal of thunder, more
like the cannonade of a fleet or army, each succeeding one
louder than the last, shook the place and all in it, during
the time the terrific strife of the elements lasted. A mass of
water, accompanied by huge hailstones (for it surely
could not be called rain), fell during the storm, de-
luging the streets, and choking up such few drains as the
locality is blessed with, beating down standing crops,
smashing windows and skylights, conservatories, &c. The
electric fluid entered a house in Mount Pleasant, Landport,
by the chimney, smashed the looking-glass, and set fire to
the tenement; happily an elderly woman and a child who
were in the house at the time were not injured, and the fire
was immediately subdued by the neighbours. At another
part of Portsea, a woman was so shocked by the thunder and
lightning as to fall into a state of catalepsy, from which it is
feared she will never be roused to life. Further inwards,
Portsea has received considerable damage from the floods
which have rushed down Portsdown-hill and deluged the
meadows and roads below to a most destructive extent,
which, following so closely upon the awful storm of Friday
night last and Sunday night, will, it is feared, form a sad
item in the harvest accounts of many small farmers and
others whose crops were exposed to the ravages of the floods.
The electric telegraph is, of course, hors de combat. Such
shocks as it has met with in the late storms will take some
time to adjust. It is conjectured that the attraction it ap-
pears to present to the electric fluid will be an insurmount-
able bar to its safe and effectual working in the dockyard,
where so much attractive and combustible matter is at pre-
sent stored. Much fear was entertained for the safety of
powder in magazines at this port. The houses situate low
in Portsmouth, Portsea, Southsea, and the adjacent villages
were all inundated to some depth with water, which, owing
to the very inefficient drainage, will be some time in sub-
siding.
SHEERNESS, AUGUST s.—The Mutine, 12, Commander
Crawford, discharged her powder at the Little Nore on Sun-
day, and was towed up to Chatham on Monday, where she is
to be taken into the dock at present occupied by the Trident
steam-sloop, nearly ready for sea.
The Columbine, 16, Commander Booth, arrived from
Chatham yesterday morning, and is now having her com-
passes adjusted in this harbour. She will undergo the usual
inspection by the Commander-in-Chief, and afterwards sail
for Portsmouth, where she is to be paid advance wages and
receive her final orders.

An accident which might have terminated in the destruc-

tion of that fine vessel the Dragon steam-frigate occurred
here on Sunday evening. It appears that an old canvas
jacket had been left behind a bull's eye of one of the paddle..
box cabins, which by the convergence of the rays of the sun
had ignited and was smoking away at a furious rate when it
was happily discovered by the policeman on duty, who gave
the alarm. The fire was soon afterwards subdued without
having done the slightest injury to the vessel.

FUNERAL tf the BABOO DWAR-

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE DV
RAILWAY.
The following is an extract from Captain Laws' evi-
dence before the Commons' Select Committee on Rail-
ways, the report and the evidence taken before whinh rj
have just been printed :
. Do you think that the advantages of railtv4yajtaietf,
been developed in the conveyance of agricu,l4-21
duce ?—No ; I do not think the conveyance
tural produce has been largely affected b
In fact, with the exception of cattle and
agricultural produce that is carried by :
comparatively small. Green groceries fro.
garden market into the north is considerable,
would be surprised to hear of the immense qui7iNlell"
that are conveyed from Covent-garden to Manchester,
and from Manchester, ramified by the lines, to the
north. One of the great carriers has shown to me his
account with parties for this description of traffic; as
much as 13 and 14 tons, at this season of the year, of
water. cresses, come into Manchester from London per
day, and they are sent a considerable distance on the
lines in the neighbourhood : from Berkhamsptead
quantities are brought by carriers, and one or two of the
large greengrocers in Manchester pay more for the
carriage of garden produce than the largest manufacturers
in Lancashire. On the Manchesttr and Leeds Railway
next month, when the new potatoes come in from the
south, we shall carry up as much as 200 tons of pota-
toes, onions, and other garden produce, and other
things, in a day; a very populous district all the way,
and we drop at each station along the line a waggon
cor.taining 4 tons, 3 tons, and so on; these are all
brought to the Manchester market in the same way as
to Covent-garden market, and are bought up by the
greengrocers and taken out and retailed in the distr.ct.
Though you say the amount of agricultural produce
carrit d on railways has hardly yet been developed, are
there not a very considerable number of cattle and sheep
conveyed upon railways?—Yes, but nothing like what
there will be. The fact was, that railway companies,
not considering well the nature of that traffic, at first
put a high price upon it ; the consequence was, that as
long as drovers could pursuade graziers that they
could drive them up as cheaply by the road, and the
turnpike trust would make a little reduction in conse-
quence of the railway competition, they continued to
send them along the road from distant places to Smith •
field, or to the markets in the north, even when they had
the convenienee of railways; and I believe that our
railway was the first to demonstrate that, as long as
an animal has locomotion in itself, the owner will use
that locomotion to carry it to market, and therefore we
reduced our rates so low as to knock those drovers up ;
and all the rates that have been lately introduced into
railway Bills for the conveyance of cattle are about a
third of what they started with.
And you consider that there is that progress going on
now, and that there are an increased number of cattle and
sheep conveyed by railway 7—Yes; it is growing every
day ; and now, so far from the graziers having anything
to do with driving cattle 100 or 150 miles, they will not
do it at all, but they will get them upon the railway, and
convey them to market, and come back again. We
allow a man to go in charge of two waggons for the
safety of the cattle themselves, and to return free; we
Live him a pass back again. The increase on all the
lines in cattle and sheep has been very large, but still I
think the majority are driven by road. Pigs always
come to us, as they are bad travellers; the Irishman
always puts his pigs upon a railway as soon as he can.

COMMUTATION OF TITHES.
The following is an outline of the Lord Chancellor's
Bill (just laid on the table of the House of Lords), and
intituled "An Act further to amend the Acts for the
Commutation of Tithes in England and %Vales."
The preamble recites the Acts 6 and 7 William IV.,
e. 71, 1 Vict.. C. 69, 2 and 3 Vict., c. 62, 3 Vict., c. 15,
5 and 6 Vict., c. 54, 1 and 2 Vict., c. 64 ; and the first
clause proposes to give power to landowners to redeem
a rent charge not apportioned, where the amount does
not exceed fifteen pounds.
2. Upon payment of the consideration money, com-
missioners to certify that the parish is discharged of
tithes.

3. Gives power to redeem rent charge erroneously ap-
portioned on lands not chargeable therewith.

- 4. After redemption of the rent charge erroneously
apportioned, the appointment of the remainder to be
valid.

5. Separate rent charges, not exceeding twenty shil-
lings in amount, may be redeemed after apportionment.
Extraordinary charge not to be affected.
6. Commissioners to certify the amount of considera-
tion money for redemption.
7. Consideration money for redemption, how payable.
8. Consideration for redemption of rent charges pay-
able to spiritual owners to be paid to governors of Queen
Anne's Bounty, to be applied in augmentation of the be-
nefices to which the rent charges belonged.
9. Consideration-money in case of owners under dis-
ability, how payable.
10. Relates to consideration•money under 201,
11, Gives power to persons entitled for limited inter-
ests to charge expenses of redemption.
12. Commissioners' certificates of redemption to be
under the hands and seal of the Commissioners, and show
the amount of the consideration-money for the redemp-
tion thereof, and to whom or in what manner the same
shall have been paid, &c.

13. Alteratioi of apportionment may be made after
inclosure.

14. Expenses of alteration of apportionment after
inclosure shall be borne by the owners of the lands to
which such altered apportionment shall relate, and shell
be recovered in the same manner as expenses chargeable
on the same owners in or about the making of an origi-
nal apportionment of the sum of the rent charges
charged on the same lands respectively would bare been,
recoverable.

15. Supplemental apportionment of a rent charge as
made payable to one owner in respect of tithes of several
owners or held in separate rights.
16. Gives power to declare land as to which doubt.
arise which delay the apportionment as a separate district.
17. Place of deposit of copy of confirmed apportion-.
meant may be altered by quarter sessions.
18. Tithes, or rent charge in lieu thereof, may be
merged after agreement or award, but before apportion-
ment.

19. Powers relating to the merger, &c., of any tithes,
may be executed by a person entitled in equity.
20. 1 and 2 Vict. c. 64, to be construed as part of the
Tithe Commutation Acts.

21. Decisions concerning boundary not appealed
against to be valid, notwithstanding intormality.
22. Glebe lands may be exchanged although no com-
mutation be pending.
23. Act to be construed as part of 6 and 7 Wil-
liam IV. c. 71.

THE LATE EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS IN LAM-
RITIL—CORONER'S INQUEST.—On Wednesday afternoon, Mr.
Wm. Payne, the City Coroner, held, at the Crown Tavern,
Lambeth-road, an inquiry into the circumstances connected
with the fire and explosion that occurred upon the premises
of Mr. S. Drove'', firework-maker, of No. 6, Hatfield-place,
Westminster-road, some particulars of which appeared in our
columns on Monday last. Several witnesses were examined,
and the jury returned a verdict, " That the fire was the result
of accident." .

*SWIMMING MATCH.—A swimming match came off
on Tuesday evening at the splendid Swimming Baths in the
Westminster- road, for two very handsome chased silver medals.
There werel6 competitors, divided into fourheats and four swim-
mers in each, all members of the Surrey Swimming Club. The
first four were Messrs. Cooper, Gilbert, Smith and Harrington;
they had to swim the whole length of the bath, which is 1,5 feet,
and back • on the return the contest was between Gilbert and
Smith, and the latter won by about two yards. The second
heat was between Messrs. Barton, Green, Emmett, and James
The third was between Messrs. Fisher, Mills, Hood.
and Bartlet. Won by Hood, Bartlet coming in second. The
fourth was contested by Messrs. Winter, Parker, and
Bavin, which was won by Winter. Then came the fifth and
last heat, in which the competitors were those who were
first in the others, and they were Smith, Winter, Hood, and
Emmet. Hood took the lead at starting, and kept it through-
out, and won, Emmet coming in a good second. There were
one or two other matches between the above, in one of
which three boys, under ten years of age, were the compe-
titors, in which a lad named Stevens was the winner. A
diving match also took place between Mrssre._Smi andth.edn
, Parker, in which the former remained thirty-five . s
f
sovereigns e r e
it lgnwasscanme
neck came otrandneck,
between
and must be again contested. The medals were given to the Messrs under
Walker
arnadc e
successful candidates, amidst much cheering.
Gfroarh at 1 nwo, b
PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. —As the half-past eleven
o'clock Bristol train, comprising first, second, and third class
carriages, neared the Box station on NV ednesday, it stopped for
a few minutes before it came close to the platform. During
its temporary stoppage, an old tar, named Hannigan, who
had been discharged from the Hibernia, 100 guns, Cap-
tain Williams, at Cork, got out, but as soon as he ob-
served the train moving on, he attempted to re-ascend
the third class carriage, although a hundred voices cau-
tioned him against so doing. In his attempt to reach the
step, he failed, and again made another effort for it, but
while in the act of so doing the train got parallel with the
platform, dragging the unfortunate man along with it, so
that three-fourths of his body was under the train while his
head and shoulders rested on the platform. At this moment
the scene was terrific, for every one imagined that he was
crushed to atoms, and the screams from the spectators were
awful. Fortunately, one of the office clerks and a constable
had sufficient presence of mind to rush to the man's rescue,
and grasping him by the jacket held him, and as the train
moved on so held him that his body was kept in
motion similar to that of the train, until the engine
driver was enabled to shut off the steam. As soon
as he was released from his perilous situation, instead of ex-
pressing his gratitude for his miraculous escape, he exclaimed.
with perfect nonchalance, " Oh, I knew there was no danger.
for I held on and was determined not to let go my hold."
One of the guards having explained to him the great danger
he had escaped, he very coolly replied, " Oh, well, if I was
killed there would be an end to me." A passenger then
asked him what would have become of his soul had he been
killed ? " Well, I declare to God," said the old tar, " I
never thought of that ; lam very mueh obliged to you for
reminding me of it, and for so doing you must take a drop of
the ' creature' (holding out a bottle of Irish whiskey) with
me."
We understand dist Messrs. Willmer and Smith, of
Church-street, received an order from Buckingham Palace,
yesterday, to supply her Majesty with a copy of all the
Liverpool papers containing the account of Prince Albert's
visit to Liverpool. Their own paper, the European Times.
of the 4th, they printed on beautiful white satin, bound with
blue, and tied with silver tassels, which presented a very
unique appearance.—Liverpool Courier.
GAUGE OF RAlLWAYS.—Wednesday the Bill which has
passed the House of Lords, entitled " An Act for regulating
the Gauge of Railways," was printed. There are nine clauses
in the measure following the preamble, "Whereas it is eis-
pedient to define the gauge on which railways shall be con-
structed." After the passing of the Act it is not to be
lawful, except in cases mentioned, to wnstruct any railway
for the conveyance of passengrs on any gauge other than
4 feet 8 inches and half an inch in Great Britain, and 5 feet
3 inches in Ir,„'l'end. The exceptions are set forth, and on
certain ;ailways the broad gauge is to be used. By the 4th
provision it is declared that after the passing of the Act the
: gauge of any railway used for the conveyance of passenk,_
' is not to be altered. Railways constructed contrary to :eryw.
Act may be abated. There is a provision for the reco
1 of penalties.
1

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