The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-19 00:00:00

THE SALE OF BEER.

The Select Committee of the Lords appointed to
consider the operation of the Acts fur the sale of
beer have agreed to the following report :
That the Commit►ee have met, and considered the
subject-matter to them referred, and have examined
several witnesses in relation thereto.

The Committee, on their appointment last session, pro-
ceeded in the first place to take the evidence of those who
have charge of the police of the metropolis, and of some of
the great towns, and subsequently of those who, as chief
constables of counties, or as magistrates, have had spe-
cial opportunities of observing the effect of beer-heuses in
country districts. Having, however, been appointed late
in the session, they found themselves unablo to pursue
this course to a great extent; and as cousiderabe delay
and expense would have bean the consequence of calling
for the attendance of a large body of witnesses such
as would have been required to ascertain the effect
of the law in different parts of the country, they
issued circulars before they separated for the session,
addressed to the chairmen of quarter sessions, and the
chaplains of gaols, and the chief constables of counties
where such officers existed, and, in counties where the
Rural Police Act is not in operation, to the clerks of
petty sessions, desiring their opinions on several points
connected with the inquiry. The result of these latter
has been thrown into a tabular form, and will be f 'Lind
to contain opinions up es the subject which are of the
highest value.
On their re-assembling in the present session, the Com•
mittee proceeded to examine several parties, themselves
interested, either as brewers or beer-sellers, in the sale of
beer ; and they have had the bonefit also of information
on several points connected with the Excise from the
Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue.

A number of petitions from various places has also
been referred to them, representing in many cases the
opinions of municipal bodies, of boards of guardians,
and of magistrates, as well as of individuals and con-
gregations, stating in strong language the evils which
they conceive t ) have arisen from the existing legisla-
tion as to the sale of beer, and praying a remedy in
various terms.

Some petitions have also Lean referred to them horn
parties interested in the trade, either as brewers or
beer-sellers, praying that no change in the existing law
may take place.
On a review of all the statements and opinions which
have been thus brought before them, the Committee
have no hesitation in stating that the expectations of
those who proposed the existing system have not bean
realised. Their object appears to have been to create a
class of houses of refreshment, respectable in character,
brewing their own beer, diminishing, by the supply
of a cheap and wholesome beverage, the consump-
tion of ardent spirits, and thus contributing to the hap-
piness and comforts of the labouring classes, But it
appears that of these houses only one-twelfth brew
their own beer; that a very large proportion are, as in
the case of public-houses, the actual property of brew-
ers, or tied by advances to them; that they are noto-
rious for the sale of an inferior article; that the con-
sumption of ardent spirits has, from whatever cause, far
from diminished; and that the comforts and morals of
the poor have been seriously impaired.
It was already sufficiently notorious that drunkenness
is the main cause of crime, disorder, and distress in Eng-
land; and it appears that the multiplication of houses for
the consumption of intoxicating liquors, which under the
Beer Act has risen from 85,930 to 123,396, has been
thus in itself an evil of the first magnitude, not only by
increasing the temptations to excess, which are thus
presented at every step, but by driving houses,
even those under the direct control of the magistrates,
as well as other originally respectable, to practices, for
the purpose of attracting custom, which are degrading to
their own character, and most injurious to morality and
order.

Coincident with this increase in the facilities for in-
toxication, it appears that crime has increased in a
frightful ratio, the commitments for trial in England
and Wales in the years 1848-1849 being in the pro-
portion to those of 1830-1831, the first two years after
the enactment of the Beer Act, of 156 to 100; and that
this is not a mere casual coincidence the Committee
have the strongest reasons to believe from the
general evidence submitted to them, but more especially
horn that of the chief constables of police, and the chap.
lains of gaols, who have the best opportunities, the one
of watching the character of the beer-shops and of those
who frequent them, the other of tracing the causes of
crime and the career of criminals.
The Committee do not mean to assert that there are
no houses under the beer•shop licence conducted with
propriety, and even advantage to the neighbourhood; on
the contrary, they have evidence of their existence in
London and some other towns, where houses highly
rated, and kept by parties of respectable character, fur-
nish a valuable accJmmodation to the middle and work-
ing-classes; but they speak of the great mass of low-
rated houses in town and country, frt quented by persons
of the lowest character, and giving no security for good
conduct by the capital invested in the business.

Of such a 3 these. the Committee have received one uni-
versal condemnation.

Tho main defects in the present system may be thus
described:—First, the unlimited multiplication of the
numbers of such houses, which the Committee have
already alluded to, and to which they need not fur-
ther here advert; next, the want of security for
the character of the beerhouse-keeper. There is no
previous investigation ; all that is require.' is a
certificate of character from six ratepayers of a certain
value; and the inefficiency of this security, if common
experience in such IT-letters were not sufficient, would be
amply established by the instances which appelr in evi-
dence of such houses being kept by parties who have
Lrfei[ed their licence as victuallers for misconduct, and
oy thieves and convicts.
Again, the rating prescribed by the Act is too low in
itselr; and it is still further lowered in effect by devices
for giving a fictitious value for rating, to which it ap-
pears that parish officers too often lend themselves.
Further, there is no security that a beer-house shall
not be established in a remote locality, away from traffic
or population, deriving all its resources from unlawful
practices, which shun observation and escape control.
Ills evil is, of course, most keenly felt in country dis-
tricts, and especially where there is no rural police.
But, perhaps, the evil of all the most difficult to deal
with is the absence of all control save by legal con-
viction—a result, by the common consent of all the
witnesses who have spoken on the subject, almost
impracticable to attain; the parties who frequent
the beer-house being usually unwilling to give
information of what passes within; and, if they do,
being met by other witnesses in contradiction, who are
always ready for such a purpose, and who are sufficient
to prevent the facts from being ascertained. The only
fact of disorder which is open to observation is irregu-
larity of hours, and for this only are they practically
amenable to the laws.

To this it may be added that it is no small evil to have
a class of houses thus established frequented exclusively
by the labouring population, who thus lose the benefit of
some control from contact with persons of superior sta-
tion, such as was exercised when both the employers and
the employed frequented the same public-house.
The magnitude of these evils has led to a widely-
extended feeling in favour of an abandonment of that
part of the existing law by which consumption on
the premises is permitted. But the existence of houses
such as the Committee have before noted, conducted
under a beer licence with propriety and advantage,
and the length of time which this system has already
endured, have made the Committee unwilling to contem-
plate a change so extensive, until experience shall have
proved that it is impossitide by other means to abate the
evil.

With this view they would make the following sug-
gestions for legislation on the subject; premising that
their general object has been, by raising the rating of
nouses hereafter to be licensed for the first time, to
diminish gradually in some degree their number, and to
raise their character; to take better security for the
character of the individuals holding beer licences; to
give some discretion to magistrates in regard to the
locality of the beer-houses; and to confer more efficient
means of punishment. _

Some other minor provisions are suggested, the object
of which will need no explanation.

SUGGESTIONS.

That licences to sell beer not to be consumed on the
premises be issued as at present.
That all houses whatever for the sale of beer shall b•
open to the visit of the constable or police; and that
their doors shall be closed for the sale of all articles
whatever at the hours fixed for houses licensed to sell
beer for, consumption on the premises.
That all parties now holding a licence to sell beer for
consumption on the premises, and not having forfeited it
by misconduct, receive their licences as heretofore from
year to year, without any fresh condition; and that in
respect to all new applications for such licences, they be
still issued by the Excise as at present, but only o❑ pro-
ducing certificates from the magistrates in petty sessions
that they are satisfied as to the rating and character of
the applicant as hereinafter provided.
That no such certificate shall hereafter be granted
for the first time to any person rated at less than 10/. a
year within the parish for a house, with the buildings
and yard connected therewith, in which the beer is to be
consumed, no other land or premises to be included in
the rating; nor where the population is not less than
2,500, to a house, with similar restrictions, rated at less
than 15/.; nor where the population is abo►e 10,000, to
a house rated at less than 201. ; the rate required by the
existing law in the same cases being severally 81., 11/.,
and 151. _ _ _

That the parties intending to apply for licences should
give notice of such intention to the clerk of petty sessions
not less than one month before a day in every quarter to
be fixed for that purpose by the magistrates; such no-
tice specifying their own names an residences, and the
site of the intended beer-house, and also the names and
residences of not less than six persons rated at not
less than St, 10/., and 151., according to the population,
who are willing to certify to their character.
That these particulars shall be affixed to some public
place, to be fixed for the purpose, fir not less than three
weeks before the day fixed by the magistrates.
That on that day the parties applying for licences
shall appear with not less than three of the parties who
are willing to sign the certificate of their character, and
with the overseers of the respective parishes, who shall
produce the rate-books.
That the magistrates shall not grant the certificate
for a licence to any applicant:in respect of whom it shall
be established to their satisfaction that he has been con-
victed of felony or misdemeanour, or that having held a
spirit or beer licence, he has forfeited it.
That it shall be open to the guardians of unions, or
overseers, or to parties acting on the authority of a ma-
jority of a vestry, to object to the granting of any certi•
ficate for a licence, on the ground of remoteness from
population or traffic, and to the magistrates to withhold
it on that ground.
That any breach of the terms of the licence shall be
punishable by fines, or fines and suspension, or in graver
cases by loss of licence.