The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-23 00:00:00

THE BEER kir

Lord SUFFlELYpresenteda. petition signed by every
magistrate attending the Quarter Sessions for the county
of Norfolk, against the Beer Bill. The noble lord took
that opportunity of presenting the petition, as the bill for
the amendment of that measure stood for a second reading
this evening. The noble lord considered that beer-shops
had been productive of great mischief, inasmuch as a great
number of them were kept by notorious poachers and
thieves, and were the resort of all those who concocted
crime.
The Earl of MALMESBURY expressed his thanks to
the noble lord for presenting the petition, but was afraid
that it would be impossible to accomplish that part of the
measure which prohibited the drinking of beer upon the
premises. He was as anxious as any man to remedy the
evils that had resulted from the beer bill, but he thought
that a fair trial should be givento it before it was attempted
to be amended. • .

The Earl of WINCHIL SEA thought there was no
question that would be more worthy of the attention of
their lordships, nor one which it was more necessary to
have considered, than the one which had now been
brought forward by the noble lord opposite. (Hear. )
He considered that the beer-shops had completely failed in
producing the beneficial results that were contemplated by
those who introduced the measure for establishing them.
The shops were open at isolated spots, some of them
about three or four miles from any other house ;
and there the most diabolical and aggravated plans were
concocted. Within four miles of where he resided a man
had been murdered in one of those beer-shops in open day,
and he felt that the time was arrived when some alteration
with respect to them should be made.
Lord WYNFORD said that since the beer-shops had
'been established, instead of beer being a wholesome beve-
rage as it was formerly, it was one of the most deleterious
liquors that could be drank. His object in voting for this
bill, was to put an end to the monopoly of the brewers,
who made money by an iniquitous system which he would
do all in his power to put an end to. According to the
present law, a constable would not be justified in entering
one of those houses unless he was called in, and therefore
it was his intention to propose a clause in his noble friend's
( Lord Kenyon) bill that constables might enter beer houses
when they might think proper for the purpose of seeing
what was going on, and he should endeavour to find some
means to compel them to discharge that most important
duty, particularly on Sundays, in order to put an end to
those infamous scenes which so frequently occurred in
thoselouses.

Lord SUFFIELD said, that with regard to what the
noble earl opposite had stated respecting magistrates
not discharging their duty, he would just mention that
there had been a lottery very lately, not far from where he
resided in the country, which was the cause of a great deal
of drunkennesS and riot ; and so difficult was it to obtain
information, that although the printed bill was put into
his hand, being a magistrate in that part of the country,
advertising the lottery, and some of the principal offenders
were brought before him, still they could not obtain that
legal evidence which would enable them to punish the
delinquents.
Lord KENYON said that he intended to make an al-
teration in the bill, which was to limit the hours more
than he had originally intended. He should be
most happy to receive any suggestion from any noble
Lord and more particularly any suggestion that might be
made regarding the Lord's Day. •
Lord MELBOURNE said that considering the very
strong feeling that existed in the house upon this subject,
he should certainly vote for the second reading. He
would put it to the noble lord whether this bill would
put an end to the grievances which had been complained
of, because, in his opinion, the bill did nothing more than
remit the hour to which they should be opened. ( Hear,
hear.) It was also to be observed, that this bill
made a great distinction between the beer-houses
and the licensed public-houses, which had always
been made a matter of complaint, and the complaint
which had originally been made, about the public-
houses being' the scenes of drunkenness and disor-
der, was now levelled against the beer-houses. (Hear. )
He would advise the noble lord to consider whether it
would not be better to extend the measure to the low class
of licensed houses, which he believed were not better con-
ducted than the houses opened under the new act. He did
not think (he wished he had reason) that the increase of
crime in the country was attributable to the beer shops.
If so, it would not be so difficult to put an end to it, as he
was afraid it would now be found.
After a few words from the Duke of WELLINGTON
and the LORD CumicELLon, who both recommended
that the bill should be sent to a select committee,

Lord KENYON moved that the order for a committee
of the whole house be discharged, and that the bill be re-
ferred to a select committee, which was agreed to.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved the
adoption of the Resolutions of the Library Com-
mittee with respect to the printing which had been
ordered by the house. He did so because he
believed that the plan proposed would be found to
be much more economical than the one now in existence.
He knew that he and many other noble lords
had often been deterred from moving for information on
account of the great expense to which the print-
ing of it would put the country. (Hear, hear.) By
the proposed plan, the printer of the one house would
print one class of papers for the use of both
houses, while the printer of the other house
should print another class, in the same way. (Hear. )
It was also proposed that bills shoiild be printed in
the —same way as at present, but that there should
be no second composition, and also that a list of
the papers ordered to be printed by the other house should
laid on the table daily, so that noble lords would know,
and could at once move for any information they wanted.
By the regulations pointed out, no less a saving would
be effected than from between 20,0001. and 30,0001. annu-
ally. In addition to this it was proposed that permission
be given to the King's printer to sell in another shape to
booksellers the paper ordered to be printed for the use of
the house. The report and resolutions were then agreed
to, and ordered to be communicated to the House of
ommons.

EXCHEQUER OFFICES' REGULATION BILL.
Earl GREY rose to move the committal of the Ex-
chequer Offices' Regulation Bill, and proceeded to enter
into various details respecting the alterations and improve-
ments it was intended to effect in the business of the Ex-
chequer. In the first place, it would produce simplicity
in pleading, and cause a great saving in the public expen-
diture, by the abolition of offices which, it was found,
could readily and without detriment to the public service
be dispensed with. The enactment of the 7th of the late
King had already done much. By that act of the Legis-
lature, the clerkship of the Pells in Ireland was done away
with, and also other offices. The present bill proposed to
abolish the offices of auditor, of Clerk of the Pells, and of
the four tellers of the Exchequer, and various subordinate
offices. The next object was to introduce greater simpli-
city in pleading—in fact, to dispense with all the cumbrous
machinery of the.present system—a system inappropriate
to the present day ; and, therefore, loudly calling for a
change. The entire management was antiquated and ob-
solete, and unfit for modern practice. As he had before
stated, it was proposed to abolish the offices of auditor,
tellers, and Clerk of the Pells, and establish in their place
a comptroller and various assistants. At present all the
moneys coming from different branches were first paid into
the Exchequer, and then into the bank, which often led to
much and serious inconvenience. The bill at present be-
fore their lordships provided, that all moneys hither pay-
able at the Exchequer, should go at once to the Bank
of England, and that all moneys paid to the Exchequer
account should form one fund in the bank book. Power
given to the treasurers to Owl-Knipe the mode in

which the accounts should be kept, and the form of the
returns, and also the mode of keeping and stating the ac-
counts at the Exchequer and Paymaster's offices. Orders
for the payment of money should be given under the sign
manual of the Royal hand to the Treasury, for the full
amount of all the moneys voted by Parliament. The
Royal order and the warrant would not however constitute
together the whole order for the Exchequer grant. There
was to be a letter of issue before the Comptroller could
issue his draft for payment on the general account;
and before the Comptroller could execute that ' grant,
he would have the opportunity of examining the
Treasury grant, to enable him to see whether it was
within the terms of the act. Under the present sys-
tem sixty-five individuals were employed in the Exche-
quer, at an expense of 41,900/. The bill now in progress
would have the effect of reducing that sum to 11,0001.
The number• of individuals employed would be decreased
to 629, thus causing a saving of 30,q001. (Hear, hear. )
This saving to the country, however, was not the only
consideration to be regarded. The great advantage which
would accrue to the administration of justice was also a
matter of much gratification. In respect to the officers to
be retained; and first, the Comptroller. The Comptroller
being an officer who would have to superintend and audit
the expenditure of the executive, it was of course essential
that he should be independent of the Government, for
which reason it was proposed that the office of Comptroller-
General should be held for life, removeable only on the
address of one of the houses of Parliament. The office
Was not to be considered a sinecure, but its duties were to
be performed in person. It, therefore, becanie necessary
to provide • for the •sickness or unavoidable absence of
'IV -

4e Comptroller, The bill, consequently, provided an as-
sistant, but his office was not for life, and his salary was
to be voted yearly by Parliament. This would have
the effect of rendering him more under the control of
the legislature. (Hear, hear.) The noble earl next
proceeded to speak of the offices held by Messrs. Bat hurst
and Percival, whose salaries were to be continued to them
for life ; and to the Marquis of Camden, who had so gene-
rously, so nobly, sacrificed 244,4671. 10s. I Id. to the pub-
lic service, to which money he had as much right as any
noble lord had to his estate. It was considered right not
to interfere with his interests, but in recording this splen-
did instance of his generosity, to also leave it to his discre-
tion to deal with the payments made to him out of the ex-
chequer as he thought tit (Hear), confident as they were
that the public reliance would not be misplaced. There
was one omission in the bill introduced in the other house
of parliament. By the melancholy death of Mr. Yorke
therewere 30,0001 in the chest which could not be touched.
The persons who were in the office could not be considered
part of the establishment ; it would, however, have been a
great hardship to have deprived them of their situations.
The House of Commons could not interfere. It was in the

power of the Crown, however, to appoint another teller,
whose functions would cease on the passing of the present
bill, and then the clerks would be otherwise provided for.
The noble earl, after a few remarks upon the clerkship of
the Pells, concluded by expressing his willingness to give
any further information that might be deemed requisite.
The bill then went through a committee, and the report
was ordered to be brought up on Tuesday. The house
then resumed.