The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-10 00:00:00

T,0731:1
170 irri r-14t ttiOn
1

SIIN OFFICE, Feven 0:Clock.

ASCOT RACES.—(This Day.)

(fIY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
CORONATION STAKES.

Beechnui;

Ayacauora

Two ran.
WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES.

Sydney
Frig Lt
Z Aide°

Three ran.
FERNHILL STAKES.

Polly Pea,bura
Sister to Ellii!gtNl
Sister to Jesuit

HANDICAP PLATE.

Amelia
11143 Waters

Sixteen ran.
HUNT CUP.

Rosa Bonheur
Cotswold
Hurobu,
Earlyßird
Tweet}-five ray. Won by two lengths ; a length each

between 2d, 31, and 4tb.
SWEEPSTAKES.

Lady Albert
Hard wick ......
Percy

LATEST BETTING.

ASCOT GOLD CUP.
400 t:) 100 ag,t Skirmisher (taken)

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(This Day.)
The SPZAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
VATE BUSINESS.
The North Eastern and Hartlepool Dock and Rail-
way Amalgamation Bill was read a third time and

passed. -
The following billy were further conaidered and
ordered to be read a third time 7—G reat Northern Rail-
way (Capital) ; Laudport and Soutbsea Improvement ;
Lewes and Uckfield Railway ; Margate Water ; and
MA-Sussex Railway.
FINSBURY PARK BILL.
Mr. C. FORSTER moved that the order for the so•

coed reading of the Finsbury-park bill be read and dig-
charged, and that the bill be withdrawn. That leave be
given to bring in a hill, " to enable the Metropolitan
Board of Works to form a park for the northern suburbs
of tr.e unetropolk to be called Finsbury Park,'" and
that T.,.)rd R. Groeveuor, Mr. T. Duncombe, and Mr.

Ccx do prepare and tiring in the same, and that the ix-
atniner of p,titions for private bills have leave to sit and
proceed forthwith.—Agreed to.

PETITIONS.

Petitions were presented in favour of and against Mr.
Hardy's Beer 8,1 l ; for the Equalisation of the Poor's
Rates ; in favour of Mr. Headlarn's Medical Profe,sion
; against the Industrial Schools' Bill ; Viscount
Goderich presented ten petitiot:s from tha neighbour,
hood of Hu Iderefield in favour of the Beer Bill.
SALE OF BEER.

On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Mr. KER SEYMER moved as an amendment that
the bill be read a sec Ord tinse this day six months. He
believed drunkenness was the besetting sin of the work-
ing classes of this country, hut he thought it was now
decreasing. The influence of good example amongst the
upper classes, the increased desire on the part of em-
plovers t ) promote the moral, religious, and physical
welfare of their servants, the establishment of parks, and
the increase of education, were the causes of this, and it
was no Utopian idea to imagine that, these would have a
still further beneficial effect on the habits of the working
classes. They bad seen a great change in the habits of
the upper classes, in respect of drunkenness, and there
was no reason to doubt that a similar change front the
causes now in operation would take place in the habits
of the lower classes. He condemned the restrictive
principles of this bill, and remarked that no body of
men would think of restricting, the number of shops
in any other trades to be opened. He stated in
support of his argument relative to the restrictive
character of the licensing system generally, that
during five years 2,343 persons applied for licences in
the Metropeles, of whom only 493 were successful, and
of these 72 were granted in the Tower Liberties. He
considered there should be some regulations for the trade
but not the restrictions proposed by the present mea-
sure. The hon. gentleman referred to the connection
existing between the brewers and publicans relative to
obtaining licenses, on the ground of the former supply-
ing the latter with ale and porter, and also to most of
the pubic houses being the properly of the brewers, or
mortgaged to them., The licensing system, coupled
with the malt tax, was the great upholder of the brewers'
monopoly. It was absurd to draw distinctions between
beer shops and public houses, because there were bad
in both branches, and it was a notorious fact that a
number of public houses were t-ept by prize-lighters,
who were a class of men he could never consider as re-
spectable. It was all Very well to tak about the
morelity of publicans and brewers, but their object was
•to sell as much beer as they could. Although
the licence was strict as to adulteration and dilu-
tion, the publicans and beer shop keepers were obliged
to have recourse to dilution for their profits, and Mr.
Hawes, a celebrated brewer, who was examined before
the committee, stated that the retailer had to " pump
the new river" for his profits—(a laugh)—in other words,
dilute the beer with 'eater, The present system of li-
ceasing was had and required alteration—magistrates
being very often placed in unpleasant positions when
they were asked to grant license's, and sometimes
charged with partiality. Tne Beer Act had been success-
ful, inasmuch as it gave the public the reduction of duty,
and allowed many persons, such as shell-fish shop
keepers, to supply beer, who did not require
a spirit license as will
• He approved of one license in-
stead of two as now in practice, which wouid give the
beerseiler permission to sell beer and spirits, or either,
only as he thought most desirable for the purposes of his
trade. Statistics of drunkenness were very fallacious,
because no two towns had the same regulations for ap-
prehending persons under the influence of drink. In
some towns the police had orders to take only
such men as could not take care of themselves,
whilst in others they took men who were a
little the worse for liquor. The honourable gentle-
man also referred to the present system stigmatisiug a
man as not being respectable by withholding his
license, and at the same time preventing his rising in
the class to which he belonged. Beer-shops, generally
speaking, he thought were better kept than licensed
houses. He approved of that part of the bil lwhich
referred to coffee-houses that were kept open all night,
and he regretted it had been made a part of this
measure. The application of the Tippling Act
to these shops he thought desirable and he
complained of an omission in the bill relative
to the privileges of Free Vintners, and called attention
to a house now open in Piccadilly under a free vintner's
licence. He called upon the " strong Government"
to take up the question, and not be afraid of the licensed
victuallers, who, it could not be doubted, were a strong
, class, and very influential in elections.
Mr. W. BROWNE supported the amendment, and
explained that his name had been put on the back of the
bill under a misapprehension. When he first saw the bill
lie found it so different to what he expected that he wrote
to request the removal of his name from it, hut he was
told it was too late, and could not be done. After
reviewing the labours of the committee appointed
two sessions since, of which he was a member, he
expressed a hope that the Government would, next year,
be prepared with a measure founded upon the report
which the committee presentedtothe house.
Mr. NEWDEGATE did not accede to the doctrine
that, because the Government did not deal with an ac-
knowledged evil, private members attempting to
legislate upon the subject should be considered as inter-
fering with the duties of the executive. He deprecated
• too much responsibility being thrown upon the Govern-
ment, as inconsistent with the freedom and independence
of hon. members.
Mr. D. GRIFFITHS supported the second reading
of the bil
Sir G. GREY said that as a direct appeal had been
made to the Government, he took an early oppor-
tunity of stating the views of the Government on
this question, and his views on this bill. The
hon. gentleman who had brought in the bill was not
liable to censure for so doing, but rather praise for caus-
ing the subject to be discussed, and hon. members in-
formed thereby. The principle of this bill was substan.
tielly to repeal the Act of 1830, and revert to the system
that existed before, restricting the sale of beer absolutely
to persona licensed by magistrates according to their
arbitrary will, without anything to guide them. To
that he entertained the strongest objections, and he pro-
ceeded to review the course of legislation that had taken
place for many years past on this subject. This bill was
at variance with the recommendation of the com-
mittee of 1854, and the honourable member asked
for this bill because the morality, &c., of the
country required that certain checks should be isle-
posed on the trade. The general result, however, of the
evidence before the committee was, that drunkenness
had decreased in the country, and where it existed it
was attributable mostly to the use of ardent spirits. The
towns in which drunkendess was said to have decreased
were Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, and Liver-
pool ; and when gentlemen said drunkeness was on the
increase, they spoke of some local observation, and not
of it generally throughout the kingdom. There could be
no doubt that stilt it was too great, and was the
cause of the commission of much crime. The law was
more stringent with regard to the new house-keeper
than the licensed victualler, for on a third conviction
the magistrates had power to shut up such beer shop for
two years, and report it to the excise ; yet no such third
conviction had taken place. Many of the evils corn
plaiued cf arose rather from the administration of the
law than its defects. Asto the licensing syst, mhe thought
• the evidence before the committee showed that the