The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-27 00:00:00

(FROM THE NEWS.)

The two Houses of Parliament recommence their
labours on Tuesday. Some are of opinion that the
Session will be short ; and this may be the case if

Ministers are content to leave half of their duties un-
performed—there is, however, plenty to do to oc-
cupy them to the close of summer. The Corn
Laws need revisal—our whole judicatory system
calls loudly for amendment—the mode of collecting
the taxes ‘Nith a view to economy, should be altered
—in fine, the general slate of the nation should be
taken into consideration by an open Committee of
the House of Commons. The cry of distress arising
from the badness of trade and the want of employ-
ment, reverberates front one end of t he empire to
the other—and are our rulers to sit with folded
bands, and patiently wait the storm %%ilia must
eventually burst over them ? On the contrary, the
causes of this universal misery should be searched
out, and the interests of no one class of the com-
munity, whether Clergy or Laity, should be alluwed
for an instant to stand in the way of the general
good. It is plain, among other evils of Tythes,
Corn Laws, &c. &c. that the expenditure of the
country is on too large a scale ; and Ministers may
rely on it, that if it is not reduced voluntarily, it will
in the end be reduced forcibly. And here we can-
not help recollecting that some years ago the in-
comes of the Royal Family, the salaries of the
Judges, Officers of State, &c. &c., were augmented

on the plea of the high price of every article, arising
from a depreciating paper currency. This depre-
ciated paper currency is now done away ; and the
average prices of articles are as low as they were
forty years ago--why then not replace the salaries,
&c., on the old footing ? It is clear that matters
are hastening to a crisis ; and it Nvi 11 behove those
at the helm not to confine their reductions to the
annual pittances of a few subordinates—but to com-
mence at the top of the tree, and lop off or reduce
every unprofitable sucker down to the very root.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

MR. ESTCOURT'S LICENSING BILL.—On Satur-
day a Licensed Victualler of the first respectability,
stated to the Lord Mayor, that he had seen an ac-
count in the newspapers of Friday, asserting that
the Licensed Victuallers of the city of London
were, together with the city magistrates, in a state
of confusion on the subject of the new Licensing
Bill, and that an alteration would be necessary before
the Act could be made available. It was further
stated in the article, which was certainly calculated
to excite no small degree of curiosity, that every
publican, who now sold beer, &c. in the city of
London, was not authorised to de so, and was liable
to a penalty for every drop he should sell, the
licenses granted on thelast licensing day being quite
incompatible with the Act brought in by Mr. Est-
court. This representation had been made by some
individuals who were not acquainted with the real
feelings and opinions of the great body of the publi-
cans and tavern-keepers. Some inquiries had been
made upon the subject of the reported alarm, but
the publicans who were within the range of the ac-
quaintance of him who addressed his Lordship, en-
tertained no such apprehension as had been de-
scribed. They considered, that having been duly
licensed by the city magistrates, they had the ut-
most confidence in the decision of these magistrates,
should any complaint be made against them; and
were also of opinion that the Legislature would not
countenance informers in taking advantage of any
error which might have crept into the Ac!..

The LORD MAYOR said, that he had looked into
the Act with great care, and he believed that the
licenses granted at the last sitting of the Bench,
could not be made available under the Act. The
City Solicitor and Mr. Hobler were of the same
opinion, and thoughrthat the publicans were selling
at their risk upon such an authority. In fact the
licenses would not, he believed, come into opera-
tion until October next

This intelligence did not at all abate the confi-
dence of the gentleman who was communicating
with the Lord Mayor. He did not, he said, fear
the consequences for the labour of informers. He
did not, however, speak as the organ or representa-
tive of the tavern-keepers and publicans of the city
of London. Some of them might have different
notions on the subject. For his part he should not
hesitate to meet an information or prosecution in
whatever shape.

The LORD MAYOR declared that he never saw an
Act which appeared to want revising more than tl►e
one alluded to. It was really extraordinary how an
Act could have been passed, containing, in a small
compass, so many capital defects.
His Lordship's communicant said, that when he
saw the article in the newspapers denying the effi-
cacy of the Act, he immediately sent to his solicitor
to ascertain the meaning of it, and he received an
answer which was calculated to quiet any fears which
might have been entertained as to the liability of
those who sold beer, &c. upon the authority of
the usual licences. The solicitor assured him that
the licences were as good as they could be under any
circumstances.

The LORD MAYOR said, that the opinions of those
whom he had consulted being so strongly in the
negative, and those opinions being in complete uni-
son with his own, he had considered it necessary to
summon a Court of Aldermen to take the matter
into consideration. Upon that occasion the City
Law Officers would attend, and it would be then
discussed whether the Bill as it now stood was suf-
ficient to answer the purposes intended,or whether
it would be expedient to apply to Parliament either
to alter and amend the existing Act, or to introduce
another of a temporary nature which might counter-
act any bad consequence between this and Octo-
ber, the time at which it would appear the ques-
tionable measure would come into operation. The
Recorder and Common Se►jeant would of course be
consulted.
The Licenced Victualler repeated, that notwith-
standing what had been just stated l►e should rely
upon the strength of the licence which he had ob-
tained in the usual manner, and he believed that the
majority of the trade in the city were under no
stronger apprehensions.