The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-16 00:00:00

six the next morning, went into the shed, and missed
one vat and two cheeses.

Nicholas Dawkin—l keep the Bull at Fairford.
I saw the prisoner at the fair several times on the
13th : the last time was at half-ysst ten o'clock,
on Town Bridge, about 150 Yards from the stile
across the field leading to Mr. Tovey's. He had a
wheelbarrow and a sack in it. I asked him if he had
seen either of the Tovev's? he said he had not, but
was going there. He went towards the stile. He
had on a long dark smock-frock.
Christopher Pontin saw the prisoner at twenty
minutes before eleven, lifting a barrow over the
stile. He went on the road to Mr. Tovey's house.
Richard Tims—l saw the prisoner a little after
eleven, going from Mr. Tovey's house to Maisev
Hampton. He was wheeling a harrow.
Ruthven the officer searched the prisoner's house
on the 21st of November, and found concealed con-
siderable quantities of cheese. I put some pieces
together and they made a whole cheese. I have
kept that cheese wrapped up under a seal.
Sarah Miles identified the cheese.

Mr. Toter—My house is about a quarter of a
mile out of the way from Fuirford to the prisoner's
house.

The Jury immediately found the prisoner Guithi,
and Mr. Baron VAUGHAN sentenced him to seven
years' transportation.

THE LICENSING SYSTEM.

The long existing abuses in the licensing system,
and the expectation of speedy correction, form the
topics of general conversation and alarm amongst a
,very extensive body of affluent men. Magistrates
and Brewers, and Members of both Houses of Par-
liament, would be deeply affected by the disclosure
of the facts (connected as they are with some of
the most influential men in the country) which have
reached our knowledge ! We shall instance a few
cases in proof of the baseness of the practice even•
day resorted to. It is notorious amongst those who
understand anything about the manoeuvres of the
Brewers and their partisans, that many of the
Licensing Magistrates through the country are con-
nected with builders ; that the connexion is formed
Upon a pecuniary basis of a reciprocal naturu;
and that houses, when licensed under such cir-
cumstances, are not opened by tho persons in
hose names applications are made, but are sold
ep the highest bidders. If a person to whom a
newly licensed house is sold, can procure a large
Ipan of money from a Brewer, in he goes, and falls to
Work; but then, the house is large, being more like a
barrack than a public-house, and the expellees are
so enormous, the interest upon the loan swallows up
the whole of the profits of the trade, and the house
falls, into the brewer's hands, which are always ready
to receive all they can grasp. Jobs of this kind
turn out so profitably to builders, that the greatest
interest is constantly used for the purpose of obtains
ing them. It has not, indeed, been unusual for Mi-
nisters to interfere in cases where the conflicting
interests of builders, and, of course, of Magistrates,
are concerned.

In one case, a poor man built, in a most eligible
situation, a house, which cost him upwards of 1,000/.
For three years, he made every eftbrt to obtain a
licence, but all he could do proved of no avail. At
length, a builder, who had been examining the neigh-
bourhood, took it in his head to raise a large house
within twenty yards of that of the humble petitioner
to'their Worships. This builder, who owed a sum
of money to a Jew, told his creditor that the only
means he possessed of liquidating the debt was by
obtaining a licence. " Very well," said the Jew,
" I'll get a licence, or I'll know why;" and he set
off to a Nobleman of most powerful influence, whom
he had been in the habit of accommodating- with
cash, in order to defray the enormous expences of
election contests, with which some members of
his Lordship's family are constantly harrassed.
" My Lord (said he), so help me Got, I am mush,
very mush, in vont of money ; I shall go to the
dots if I don't get it." " I have no money, my
friend," replied his Lordship ; " you don't know
what a dreadful expence I was at last election ; but
what else can I do for you." " Vv, my Lord," said
the Jew, " there's a man vat owes me money, and
he has built a house, and he can pay me, if I gets a
liedose. Now, if your Loseleirsip weld serve me in
thin matter, Tv, you know your debt can lie over for
a chile, for I won't be so much pushed." " That
will just do," returned his Lordship, who is the
Chairman of the Sessions, " I dare say I can ma-
nage him." " Oh, I can manage him myself," said
the Jew ; I have a bit of a demand upon him ; he is
all right through thick and thin." The Nobleman
immediately wrote off to certain of the gentlemen of
the Commission, and the builder obtained the li-
cense, the Jew his money, and his Lordship a tem-
porary release from dunning. The unlucky appli-
cantts house is falling to ruins, he has lately died in
distress, and there is no prospect beyond the work-
house for his widow and children.
About three or four years ago, a low ignorant
man cut a great figure in the licensing v.'orld. lle
obtained ten or twelve licenses without having made
more than a single application for any one of them.
Some of the houses which this extraordinary licen-
ser raised to so high a value, were situate in places
which had been previously overstocked with public-
houses. The existence of such a power in a man
of such a description excited the astonishment of
every'. body. The Brewer's clerks, who are very
agacimis in ascertaining causes, at length learned
it "general licenser," for whom the Magis-
tes-: expressed the greatest contempt, but who,
twohstanding, triumphed over their ineffectual
aqirohation, had a handsome female relation, to
loin a certain Nobleman could refuse nothing.—
le houses, however, soon got into the hands of
eminent brewer, and it is believed that the hide-
:igalole maker of public-houses is now but little the
uteri for his exertions, after having made a large
rtune for the disinterested and tender-hearted

.t is pretty well known that the twelve most emi-
t Brewers in the metropolis are immense capi-
ists. There are very few of those firms in which
Magistrate or two are not to be found. There
rtainly is a law to prevent Magistrates. being
brewers, from sitting on the bench to license public-
house; but. " there are are other ways of killing
a dog besides that of hanging him." The Brewer-
Magistrate is a mak of immense wealth : he gives
excellent dinners, has a splendid mansion in the
country, a park crowded with deer, and, in the veni-
son season, haunches are to be traced to the tables of
those whose votes are to be put in requisition on the
licensing day. Lists of the houses for which licenses
are sought are regularly marked before the farce of
Visiting commences, and all competition is absurd
after instructions have been issued. By the Bill to
be brought in by Mr. Estcourt, it is apprehend-
ed, amongst the many individuals who derive a
vast profit from this nefarious system, that the
abuses just stated, and a long train of others, will
be effectually met. It has not escaped the knowledge
of those who have suffered by the iniquitous partiality
annually shown to a certain description of petition-
ers, that the Magistrate's clerk has, or pretends to
have, a great deal of influence. So strong, at all
events, is the power of that personage supposed to
be, that it is considered matter of the greatest im-
portance to propitiate him. It is part of the ma-
chinery necessary to the obtaining of a li-
cense that he should draw the petition, and
write out the notices, &c. ; and there is an under-
standing between him and the candidate for the li-
cense, which is rather a test of the liberality of the
latter than of th© integrity of the former. The High
Constable, too, is a character whose good opinion it
is thought necessary to conciliate. This gentleman
usually happens to be a dealer in such commodities
as the publican has large occasion for. A good order
has never been knii*n to fail in procuring a good
the 'purchase of a few
name for a candidate, ant.k.
chaldrons of coal has been not en known to obtain for
a public-house, through the same respectable chan-
orine.
nel, a re.putation, although it has been frequented by
b
no persons but thieves and prostitutes.--Ma
Parer..