Star.
London, England, 1830-04-17 00:00:00

cO3I3IITTEE-ROOM, LONDON-TAVERN, April 8.

a. T a SPECIAL MEETING of the LICENSED
VICTUALLERS, held this day, it was Resolved—That the
tollowing Petition be presented to the Honourable the Commons of
;:is United Kingdom of Groat Britain and Ireland, in Parliament
assembled _ . _

• ------ -
file humble Petition of the undersigned Proprietors and occupiers of
Public !louses in London and its Vicinity.

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Showeth —That your petitioners have learnt with surprise and
alarm, that a Dill has recently been introduced into your Honour.
able House, for the purpose of removing all r;strictions on the Sale
of Beer by retail, which 11111 your petitioners humbly conceive to
be as unjust in principle, as it will prove to be injurious to them,
and mischievous to the public in its operation' if passed into a law,
whilst it is unnecessary for the attainment of the object proposed.

That your petitioners arc members of a large body of the com-
munity, who have embarked their money in property affected by
this Bill. That the money so employed by a great number of your
petitioners constitutes the whole earnings of their inanity and eco-
met), fur a series of years, and that the entire capital vested in
public houses and the requisite furniture amounts to no lea a sum
than Thirty Millions.
That until the last few weeks your petitioners had every reason to
Lehere that the property thus acquired was as perfectly secure to
them as that belonging to any other members of the community, and
t!i.it the same laws, under which they had been enabled to obtain it,
would have been continued, so as to preserve to them the fruits of
their labour.

That relying upon the continuance of such laws—laws which have
existed without interruption four centuries—the far greater number
of your petitioners have entered into engagements which they will
be wholly unable to perform, whereby many will be rerluced to a
state of pauperism, whilst numerous orphans and others, whose sole
subsistence depends upon annuities charged upon this dcwziption of
property, will find themselves wholly destitute, and be compelled to
resort to their several parishes for relief.

That your petitioners, who are publicans, trut.t that their con.
.!uet as a body will be found to have been such as to render them
not undeserving of the attention and support of your Honour:lgo
House. That it has been their constant endeavour to merit the ap-
probation of the public, and, so far as their means would allow, of
preventing any of their members from becoming burdensome to the
rat of the community ; and with this view they have, under the
fostering care of un Illustrious Duke, from time to time subscribed
such sums of money as, in the result, has enabled them to provide
for the support of their necessitous and unfortunate members and
their families, and for the education of their children.
That your petitioners feel convinced that your Honourable House
will not proceed to alter laws materially affecting thirty millions of
property, without the fullest inquiry, and the most mature delibera-
tion, more especially as it cannot fail to be remembered that those
laws having had their origin, at all events, as early as the fifteenth
century, the principle established by them has not only been invaria-
ble adhered to, but has been confirmed and fortified by successive
l'a.riiamenis troll') that time to the present ; and that no attempt was
ever made to interfere with that system until the year 18:12, when
propositions submitted for limiting the controul of the Magistracy
it: granting licences for the retail of beer were rejected by your
Honourable House, upon the ground that the measure was preg.
nant with the most pernicious tendencies, and that if the power and
controul theretofore exercised by magistrate's were withdrawn, or in
any manner restricted, great disorder and immorality would neces-
sarily ensue.

That your petitioners conceived that, by the Statute 9th (ho. IV.
chap. 61 (commonly called Mr. Estcourt's Act), every evil and abuse
that was supposed to have crept into the system of licensing public
neusea was effectually checked or destroyed.
That, by the existing law, Magistrates are empowered to license
ary number of houses they may think tit ; that, in the exercise of
their discretion, it is their duty to be guided by a due regard to the
ropulation, and the necessities of that population, on the one hand,
and to the moral habits and dispositions ot' the people on the other,
urd that such discretionary power has been wisely confided to those
who. as a body, have exercised it with integrity and judgment—the
r.r.!aral conservators of the public peace.

That your petitioners collect from the provisions of the bill that it
intended to withdraw this wholesome controul front the 3lagis-
tracy—to enable any individual to obtain a licence at his own mere
will and pleasure, and open a public house for the sale of beer
wherever and whenever he may think fit, under the impression that,
by augmenting the number of public houses, the consumption of the
article will be increased, the price diminished, and the public derive
a corresponding benefit.
That your petitioners arc duly sensible of the advantage that
must result to the community at large from the abolition of the
duty, and that a considerable increase in the consumption of beer
will necessarily follow. Your petitioners, however, respectfully
submit, that the expectation of any further increase, by reason of
ut:limittd and uncontrolled licensing of public houses, will not
be realittl, but on the contrary ; as your petitioners, if permitted
se to do, are prepared to prove that the quality of the article will
be detcrioratt.d, the price augmented, and, consequently, that the
consumption will not be increased nor the public bettefitted.

• That in the year 1824, being the find after the passing cf the Act
authorising the sale by retail of beer of an intermediate quality, the
number of licensed public victuallers in England and %Vales was
48.804, of which number 22,573 brewed their own beer ; and there
was also at the same period 25 intermediate brewers. That the total

quantity of beer brew;:d by the public brewers in the year ending
July, 1824, was 3,744,143 barrels; by the victuallers 2,345,738 ;
red by the intermediate brewers 15,937 ; making together a total of
touatusa barrels. That in the same year, 1824, another Act was
passed, with the view of increasing the consumption, by which
"was were enabled, for the first time, to sell beer by retail ; and
thus, as the demand might front time to time arise, the public were
patented with the means of obtaining a supply of beer to an unli.
nand extent throughout every part of the country, and wholly in.
dependent of the licensed victuallers.
That since the year 1824, and in addition to the means of supply
provided by the two statutes referred to, a progressive increase has
taken place in the number of licensed victuallers, and that in the
year ending sth January, 1830, the total number amounted to
50,441, of which 23,304 brewed their own beer. There were also
it this period 22 intermediate brewers, and 1,269 retail brewers,
tasking an increase within the last five years and a half, in the num.
bet alienates licensed for the sale of beer, of 2,907, exclusive of the
retailers of intermediate beer, fur the sale of which no li.
eetse ass requisite.
That at the last.mentioned period the quantity of beer brewed
by the public brewers was 3,589,363 barrels by the victuallers,
2.10;,09G; by the retail brewers, 213,8:11; and by the intermediate
brown., 56438; waking a total of only 6,004,788 barrels; and
thus r..Uf Hunouraltle Rouse will perctive, that notwithstanding
the great ircrease in the number of licensed houses, and of the fact.
ilirs :Amin! for an unlimited supply of the article, there has been
a falling t.ffin the entire quantity of beer brewed in England and
%Vales of upwatds of 100,000 barrels.
That your Honourable Horse will he aware, that in all cases
where the supply is fully evil .to the demand (and in the present
instance it has been proved by the foregoing statement to be more
th..a equivalent to it), every addition to the number of retailers
regards the price of the article, detrimental to the public ; fur if
:)! voiding 21$) barrels of beer per annum, at a pioht of 10s. per
tiara, a publican can obtain a moderate subsistence for himself and
Wilily. it is evident that if he can sell only WO barrels (which ex-
Leeds the average quantity sold by 45,0h1 licensed victuallers in
.be country.) he must charge an extra price to the public to enable
him to I. v

That y.ur petitioner. r.!so beg to represent to your Honourable
liacee. that liter is an article liable to be materially injured by
ravages of temperature—is in other respects of a perishable nature.
.end requires not only constant attention, but a competent knowledge
it the taticle, to enable the vender of it to deliver it out iu good
'That it has also this peculiarity attached to and inseparable
'rout it via. that its flavour and goodness (be its otiginal qualities
ever.'. eteclknt) depend upon the quickness with which it is drawn
brunt the eatA, and that on this account also it is materially for the
Itosfit tt Me community that the venders of beer should nut be ex-
tls's:4l beyond what is necessary to supply the demand.
That 3 has hitherto been the constant aim of the Legislature to
itatect the public against any adulteration of so general and impor-
-u.ta Ir...er age ; and your petitioners humbly submit, that it will
n 'rally impracticable to prevent the offence of adulteration, if
;/4 trade be extended in the manner proposed by the Bill now be.
'ore toms Honourable House. That so for front any relaxation In
the kea, lo that respect being permitted. your petitioners would de-
rr 11. e the penalties now in force should be increased, by subject-
nag she tiatiy guilty of such an offence, not only to the deprivation
Ir.:• but that he should be rendered ever afterwanls Inca-
tublt 111 tr.pying one.
VOUS IPt:tioner s, therefore, respectfully submit to your Honour.
shut they have shown that the measure in contemplation
;• in its principle unjust, and Its operation will he ruinous to the far
.resent portinr. of your petitioners ; whilst in Its effect, it will be dis-
...vatitagetcrt to the public, and that it is altogether unnecessary for
the attaiieners of the end proposed. And your petitioners, there.
lure: fisel unit they may with confidence repose upon the wisdom and
•tie justice of your Honourable House, for preventing such a Bill
;rum passing into a law.
Your petitioners finally and humbly beg to call the attention of
s.iur Honourable House to the fact, that no provision has bean intro-
s uced into 'ht present bill for compensating those who will be suf-
lepers from it. enema tits. That your petitioners cannot but feel
7011Sidtrabil sottish* at the omission of such &provision, inasmuch as