The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-21 00:00:00

THE ADULTERATION OF BEER.

At the annual dinner of the Freshwell Labourers'
Friend Society, held at Great Bradfield, Essex, on
Tuesday evening (Mr. H. Selwin-Ibbetson in the
chair), Lord Eustice Cecil, M.P., in proposing one
of the toasts, entered into the question of the adul-
teration of beer. His lordship observed that statis-
tics informed them that every year a large number
of the people of this country, not only of the agri-
cultural class, died from drunkenness. 'I his was a
sad fact; but although they might know the numbers
of persons who died annually from that dreadful vice
they could not possibly tell the numbers who suffered
iu their health by imbibing bad liquor. Not long
ago, as a member of the Malt-tax Committee, ,
he heard a large amount of evidence upon this
point, and a great number of the witnesses stated
that it was a " custom" to adulterate beer. He
could not help saying that he listened with very
great concern to the recital of such malpractices—
he could call them nothing else—for what did it
amount it? Why this : that the national drink—
the drink that the labnurers looked upon as both
meat and drink, was systematically poisoned. He
had taken the trouble to look into a few of the in-
gredients that were commonly put into the liquors,
he did not say by whom, for that was not his pur-
pose ; but, among other articles, there were coc-
culus indicus, grains of Paradise, and copperas, the
latter being nothing less than green vitriol. He
would leave it to those he saw before him, and who
understood these things better than himself, to cal-
culate how much harm such things as these must
do to the physical strength and health of the la-
bourers. As employers of labour it was a serious
question for them to consider, for it not only de-
preciated the value of their labourer, but it also de-
preciated his whole capital, his health and strength.
It was commonly said at meetings of this kind
that the great curse to the country was the beer-
houses, but he believed a much greater curse was
the stuff that was sold in them. Pure beer was
undoubtedly an invigorating beverage, and he did
not think they had greater proof of this than was
afforded by that great beer-drinking nation the
Germans. The inhabitants of Germany were
mostly robust people, but then it must be remem-
bered that their beer was pure, which he was afraid
could not often be said of the English beer. What
was the remedy for this state of things ? They
could not do what some eastern nations had been
said to do to the defaulting baker, nail him by bis
ear to the door, nor could they do as the French
police officers did when they found any person
had adulterated their milk—viz., empty the can
of milk into the street. In the present state of the
English law it would be very difficult and very
unpopular to do anything of that sort. The true
remedy, no doubt, was some change in the law, for,
in his opinion, the law was too merciful to people
who adulterated drink or used false weights and
measures. He thought, too, that some change, he
would not say what, was undoubtedly necessary in
the beer licensing system, and he hoped before
another Parliament had ceased to exist the system
would have been thoroughly considered, and
some good motion, either from the Government or
the Opposition, have been brought forward and
carried. It mattered little, however, what motion
or what law was carried, unless there was a still
further change —a change in public opinion. They
might depend upon it that until men habitually
adopting such a custom as he alluded to, until men
who had been convicted of adulterating liquors,
using false weights and measures, were looked upon
as convicted criminals, they would never have any
, real and effectual change..

DUNVILLE and Co., Belfast, are the largest
holders of Whisky in the world. Their Old Irish Whisky is re-
commended by the medical profession in preference to French
Brandy. Supplied in casks and cases for home use or exporta-
tion. Quotations on application to Messrs. Danville and Co.
Belfast; or 4, Beaufort-buildings, Strand, London, W,C_—(Ad-
YOrtiiiernent]