The Sun.
London, England, 1818-07-15 00:00:00

ANTI-MONOPOLY COMMIITEE.

~: Yesterday the adjourned Meeting of this Corn-
atittee was held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern,
perseant to advertisement, for the purpose aeon-
. sidering the best mode of obtaining an abolition
of the arbitrary. systeM of Licensing Public-
houses, and thereby effecting a reduction in the
'price of Yorter-. There 'was a rather numerous
asscushly. . .
Sciate time after the hour appointed for taking
the Chair, Mr. BEAUMONT apprized the company,
that the delay had . been occasioned by the ex-
pec:ed arrival of Sir F. Burdett, who lad promised
;bat he would attend and accept
.the Chair; or do
any thing else that the Committee might think
would tend to promote the laudable Object they
'iad in view. Mr. 13. then suggested the pro-.
piety. of waiting a few minutes longer; and at •
l; wth, tliel-1,_,.n. Baronet not appearing, the Hon.
' •:;. 34,i;i4 was invited to the Chair;
Mr. SHIRbET, on taking the Chair, said, that.
he was happy in accepting the honour which the
Meting had conferred upon him. The object 9!
t:ii! meeting was one unconeccted it ith party of
41i:,, kind. It was a most laudable one—to re-
medy au evil which pressed upon all classes of
society, but which fell with peculiar severity upon
the poor.—(Hear !)—He would do the utmost
within his power to forward that great.ohject,
cud he trusted that if he was deficient in any thing,
the meeting would extend their indulgence to
him; and attribute any neglect rather to want of
ability than inclination to serve them.—(Hear,
hem. !)—The Hon. Gentleman then read the re-

quisition.
Mr. B. BEAUMONT.opened the business by stat-
ing, that in consequence of the determination of
the Committee of the House: of Commons, to
whom the Petition was referred, not to print the
important evidence which they received in sup-
poit of the alltgations of the Peti!ion, he deemed
it a duty which he owed to the Petitioners to give
them some further information of the proceedings.
in support of their Petition than appeared in the,
Report. :This printing of the Report without, tiu;
evidence, was a movt extraordinary course. The
Report recognized that they proved the allega-
tions. It found a verdict- of guilty against the
licensing system, and the combinations of the
Brewers—it called on the Magistracy "to lend
their aid to break down a confederacy which is so
' injurious to the poor and middlingcfassei of the,
community,"—and recommended a prospective
•law„. which, by the way, would iiist amount to
nothing; hut the evidence upon which the whole
vippresceo Oct this ocen
printed, as is usuld, the folly., and itamense,initiry
to the' public, of the English liceniing system;
would then have appeired so.glaring to the world
as to put to shame its interested and corrupt ad-
vocates—and induce the Legislature to restore to,
the people of England the right which. the Poi-.
Lion prayed for—the right of a free trade in Vic-
tuals--a, right" enjoyed by the peOple of every.
other country but our own. The Tvublication of
the evidence might prove disastrous W certain '

great capitalists ;_-but this was no reason why the
Vreiim' of knowledge, of justice, and of-public
good, should be stopped. The misdoings of petty
rogues were displayed without mercy. The pub-
lican who, following the example of his superior,
adulterates his beer', was held up to odium, and
Consigned to ruin. The grocer, who mixes beans
or leaves of English-growth with th7rse of foreign,
although equally wholesome, is exposed to public
indignation for his little cheat. Why Mrs a Iriend-
ly mantle to cover the sins of cheats by whale-
sale ? All persons concerned in-adulterating hu-
,man food, when detected, ought to be made
knowo. He proceeded to Observe, that in exprs-
ing the misdeeds of the Brewers, be shouid be
accused of making an attack on them, as well as
of injuring the hallowed characters of Magis-
trates ; 'but he had no desire to do either. His
(Ai:km of attack was, the arbitrary licensing sys-
tem, by which all persons were prohibited from
vending beer, except those whom a few privi-
leged men, Meeting on one day in' the year, em-
powered to do so. The modern law, which de- •
Arrived the British public of their natural and
chartered right,,•a free trade in victuals--corrupted
the Mirgistrates-,--made monopolists of the Brewers
—and did more injury to the moral character and
substantial rights of Englishmen thou any law
that ever was passed. The Brewers and Jastices
were not to be blamed, and did no More than was.
natural. They were endowed with the power of
saying who should enjoy the trade of selling
victuals, and• they nominated their relati9ns
and friends, instead of strangers. They were
endowed with the means of preventing 'com-
,etition in the trade, and t-bey did prevent it.

They had. the means of , a complete monopoly in
their hands, and they enjoyed it as monopolirs
always arc uied; to the enriching of the holders,
and the impoverishing of the public. But the
Brewers in Parliament had denied this manopoly.;.
y,:t the Committee in their Report stated that they
felt iheMselves called on to revert' to the invest-
ment of-large canitals;in the purchase of licensed
houses by the Brewers, and that an extensron.of
the practice must ultimately effect the lull esta-
blishment of such monopOly, when, it proceeds to
observe, the meetings 'of the Brewers to' fix their
prices " probably will be usen as means of.dc-
omoding such an unfair price froM the public as
they may be compelled to *submit 'to." But have.
not things arrived at this pitch already ?
rise in porter never' takes place. until atter all
the London Brewers have met, and —pledged
themselves to adhere to one price, and from
one day., One brewery, it is true, acts indepen-
dently, atid*Cders beer. at a Waged but the '
public cannot' get at it, becaun elms t all the

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