The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-27 00:00:00

BREWERS' MEETING.

Yesterday a numerous and respectable Meeting
was held in the Crown and Anchor Tavern, on
the importato subject of the present Monopoly
existing among the Brewers of the Metropolis.
Sir ileNav kV1L7,01'.4, a Magistrate of the Coun-
ty of Middlesex, was called to the Chair. After
expressiug his earnest wish that no political topics
should be introduced, he proceeded as follows:—
The subject upon u loch we are met is one ex-
tremely delicate, as well as essential, for it is to
call upon those who are leading chat acters amongst
the Brewers of the Metropolis, to account for con-
duct which to the community appears to be no-
. thing less than arbitrary ; that of advancin; the
price of the commodity in which they deal, to
the great prejudice of the lower orders, and with-
out assigning any cause for the increase. It will
appear necessary to discuss the subject in such a
manner as to prevent any prejudice ; and, on the
other hand, the interests of the community are so
concerned as to render it obligatory upon all who
are acquainted with the subject, to enter into it
with a feeling solely proceeding from a view to
the public good. I ant long enough in the
world to know that no greater honour and honesty
exists among any people than among those who
form the Collilnimity of this kingdom, and that if
satisfactory grounds are shewn, I ant sure all the
orders will submit to deprivation.—(Applause.)—
But that a class of Gentlemen should, without
saying a word about the matter, raise the price of
a commodity in which the poor ate compelled to
deal, is a circumstance not to be endmed. There
is now a public opportunity of stating the grounds
on which those Gentlemen are acting ; and if they
prove that their increased demand upon the public
is just, there will not be the slightest hesitation in
acquiescing in so important a regulation.—
(Applause.)—A halfpenny increased demand in a
pot of beer does not affect those to whom I ad-
dress myself at this Meeting ; but to the labourer
it is a serious circumstance, and it is our duty
to see that those who are subject to the
imposition, and are sufferers by it, shall not
sink tinder ill treatment. It is true, those Gen-
tlemen have launched into speculations, and de-
posited capital, by which the people are bene-
fited ; they therefore have an iudisputable claim
to a fair remuneration; but this.is a tittle at which
it might reasonably be expected beer Should not
be raised, for part of the duty has been taken off,
the price of malt has been leducetl, and labour is
paid in proportion to the badness .of the times.—
It is under these circumstances necessary to ex-
hibit to the publicalie causes ofaliiieextraordinary
demand. It those honourable Gentlemen wish to
grow rich upon the vitals of their fellow men, I wish
them joy of their riches, in which I would pot be a
patticipator to the prejudice of .millions.—(Ap-
plause).
Mr. DRURY (a brewer) would not have tres-
passed at all on the Meeting, had he not felt him-
self indispensibly bound-to do so, after what bad
-just been stated front the-Chair. The title of the
advertisement for calling the Meeting was such as
he could not have expected from the liberal-mind-
ed Gentlemen who composed the Meeting. But
the Brewers were to be conderntred by anticipation;
they were to be accused, judged, and punished,
without being heard. He hoped, however, to
be able to vindicate the character of that body
of meet from the imputation so inconsiderately cast
upon them, that the rise of porter to sixpence a
pot was the mere result of monopoly or exac-
tion on their parts, and not owing to other causes
by which theywere influenced, and over which they
could -have uo contrail! ; and he should not have
stood forward this dayfor their vindication,if he were
lout prepared to make out such statements in proof
of his assertions as shuttlel chew the Brewers were
lint deserving the blame thus precipitately cast no
them. He would, therefore, state, that although
the Brewer's price oh porter to the consumer was
sixpence oer pot, the price the Brewer received
was but fourpence halfpenny. There was a duty
of ten shillings per barrel on the beer, which
amounted to 13-16ths of a Id. per pot, then the
Malt duty amounted to- 7- l6ths of a pettily per
pot. There was a heavy duty on foreign Hops,
which amounted to a farthing, or .1-16111. of a
Lenny on each pot of beer, all which deducted
trout the price received by the Brewer front the.
rablican (the latter receiving a profit of lid. per
pot). left the Brewer but threepence per .pot for
Barley, flops, expellees of manufacturing the
Beer, and the Brewers' profit, the items above
enamerated making with the 3,1. the present price
of Perrier. But besides the taxes on ,Malt and
flops, the Brewer had a variety of other Taxes to
pay, which greatly diminished his profits--7as the li-
cense
for his brewing pan, and various eh arges tinder
the head of taxes ; and while the profit allowed
by the Brewer to the Victualler was awenty-five
per cent. on his retail prices, yet. great as that
might seem, he was convinced ..that Victuallers,
who wete a most industrious body of men, could
scarcely make a livelihood from this profit,..when
all their other heavy expences were deducted. He
would also endeavour to set-the Chairman right
in what he had stated respecting the reduction said
to have taken place in the article of Malt. Pre-
sious to the first rise on porter, the malt was
raised from 345. Bd_ to 655. the quarter ; and now
the average pi ice is from 80s. to 86s. the quarter;
so that so far front a reduction, there. was an evi-
dent increase on the price. It was observed, also,
that Government hadAnken the. War Duty off the
Malt, merely to put the amount into the pockets
of the Brewers ; whereas the fact was, that though
the reduction of the War Duty brought Malt down
to 655. the quarter, on the I 6tli January, when it
ended, yet the Milt had since risen to
,5/. per
quarter ; so that the high pi ices of materials, and
heavy taxes, were the true cause of the rise
.on•
Beer, and not any fault of the Brewers.
Mr. BEAUMONT next addressed the 111eeting.
He contended, that from a fair comparison Of the
prices of the present period, compared with this
tittle twelvetnonth, there was a fall of 111.. 2d. per
barrel in the expellee of materials ; and the con-
sequence was, the Brewer, instead of lowering,
increased the commodity ss. per barrel. At pre-
-3v4:lltergoTarlllenty of capital in the market,
*,!.4,CTlVNipt.gien had any room for the
ll employ-
(
~ ' '., ..,woald be glad to do so. They
g-.l'o..ulfre"4 :_li
y:I "taifc ontribute their capital, if ,
tt
....m. ,