The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-11 00:00:00

THE NEW LICENSING BILL.

In the Committee; L:1)011 the new Bill for
licensing public houses, alterations of the most
important nature have been proposed, which will
in all probability meet the approbation of Parlia-
ment and the public. It seems that the Com-
mittee were not aware of the difficulties with
which they had to contend. At all events, Mr.
Estcourt admits that he had not foreseen them.
The most unremitting attention had been given
to every part of the Bill, and many objections
were started to the most important clauses. The
first that received general condemnation was the
following And be it further enacted, that
every person so applying (for a licence) shall
serve notice of such his intention upon the
rector, vicar, or curate, and upon the church-
wardens and overseers of the poor, and upon
the constable, tithing-man, or other peace-officer,
of the parish or place in which the house is
situate: every such notice shall be written in a
fair and legible hand, and shall be signed by the
party intending to make such application, and
shall set forth the Christian and surname, to-
gether with the place of his residence, and his
trade or calling, during the six months previous to
the time of serving such notice." It was considered
we understand, by the Committee, something
like oppression, to subject persons who might
think proper to venture their property in the
trade to the annoying process described in the
clause. This part of the Bill will be recom-
mended in the Report to be withdrawn. The
clause which compels the clergyman to inquire
into the conduct of the candidate, and to as-
certain whether or not he is a fit and proper
person to be entrusted with a licence, has also
undergone general condemnation. It is thought
that other persons in a neighbourhood may he
as well qualified to decide upon such a point as
the clergyman, whom it would not be very re-
spectful to convert into a public-house visiter,
under any circumstances unconnected with the
sacred duties of the profession. Besides, it is
not known what effect the temptation of the
beverage to be had in such houses may pro-
duce upon those who perform the severest
duties upon the smallest allowance. The
business of informers will be reduced, for the
temptation to inform will, it is said, be recom-
mended to be altogether withdrawn, so that
Johnson and his assistants, who were constantly
on the look-out for the publican, will pro-
bably suffer more by the contemplated altera-
tions than any other persons. In the Bill which a
new measure is to substitute, there was less to
censure perhaps than in the Bill which had been
submitted to the Committee up stairs. The ex-
posures which have taken place at the police-
offices at the west end of the town, where the
flattest perjuries were committed upon the
strength of the existing act, have prepared the
way for a reformation of the inquisitorial part of
the measure. The hour mentioned in the bill
now before the Committee will be considerably
extended ; and in the power to be given to the
magistrates, care will be taken to prevent the un-
due exercise of influence in granting certain pri-
vileges to houses in certain situations. Several
attempts were made to obtain the recommenda-
tion of the Committee to throw open the trade
altogether, but they were resolutely opposed by
a considerable majority. Mr. Estcourt was not,
he admits, aware of the difficulties he would
have to encounter in producing a measure likely
to meet with general approbation. He'has been
waited upon by a deputation of the .publicans„
who represented their objections to the measure
in detail, and he has more than once expressed
his surprise at the information they communicat-
ed, and the ability they displayed.

WIT.--A professed wit musters his jokes on
parade every morning, as a general does his veterans, to
ascertain how many have been disabled by length of service.
WILD OATS.---Henry Lord Falkland having
been brought into the House of Commons at a very early
age, a grave Senator objected to his youth, remarking,
that " he did not look as if he had sown his wild oats."—.
His Lordship replied with great quickness, " Then I am
come to the properest place, where there are so many old
geese to pick them up."
A very unfortunate occurrence took place at
Newark late on the fair night, owing to the negligence of
the keeper of a menagerie, which had been exhibited tt:,ere
during the day. As Mr. William Brown, sen. joiri%-c, was
in the act of taking down a pole, from which tine of the
descriptive scenes had been suspended, a female Nondescript
escaped from her cage and pounced upon him with great
violence. The unexpected visit had 'such an effect upon
him, as to almost deprive him of his senses for the mo-
ment, however he had the good fortune to escape her mer-
ciless grasp, and fled for safety into the garden of R.
Cawkwell, Esq. His retreat was soon discovered by the
enraged animal, who, as if to avenge her former loss, at-
tacked him with redoubled fury ; a dreadful conflict en-
sued, in which Brown had the misfortune to break one of
his legs, his left knee also was so bruised and discoloured,
that it was feared mortification would ensue. The animal
was at length secured by the keeper (with the assistance
of several other men who kindly came forward to endea,
your to rescue Brown), and was again safely lodged in her
cage. Brown was taken home to his distracted wife, where
he still lies with very little hopes of his recovery...4)(m-
caster Gazette.

reeigourcruet
yttooe:tsithtile,..,
wrights and the masters are, apparently, no nearer a ter-
thatTtHheEdSiffHereinP:snexlrstlinTg
mination than they were some weeks ago. On Wednes-
day,a communication was forwarded to the master 811111-,
wrights by the journeymen, stating their willingness to
return to work at 4s. 6(1. per day, and that they would
also remodel their club, in such a manner as to make it
satisfactory to all parties ; but requiring that the number
of apprentices to be employed out of the yards should be
limited to one to every six journeymen. To this proposi-
tion, involving, u it did, the same spirit of dictation, or
which the master shipwrights so justly complain, a decided
negative was returned. In consequence, we suppose, of this
answer of the masters, some symptoms of a reli-actory
disposition were manifested on the part of th% journey-
men, and a large body of them assembled ystterday in the
vicinity of Messrs. Humble and Hurry's yard, evidently
with the design of intimidating thirteen men from the
country, who were then employed in the yard. Our
active Chief Magistrate was on the alert, and had made
ample arrangements for the suppression of any act „of
insubordination, had such been attempted.---hkerpool
Courier.

On the morning of Wednesday, the 23d ult.,
as some workmen were letting off the water at the Upper
Mill-dam, at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, preparatory to the erec-
tion of a bridge across the brook, for the purpose of mak-
ing a line of communication between the Bath pleasure-
grounds and the Leicester and Packington roads, the
attention of Mr. Salisbary, the builder, was attracted by
an object lying in th.: mud, which was inclosed in pa-
per. On unwrapping the covering, there appeared a
small, but finely-sculptured alabaster statue, representing
a female in the act of flouring liquid (water 07,- wine)
from a jug into a vase. The figure is partially en-
folded by drapery, but the greater part of the form
is, after the manner of the ancients, ..lisplayed in all
the beauty of nudity. The head has a curious co-
vering, something like one of the fashionable mili-
tary caps. It is about fifteen inches in height, and is
nearly in a perfect state. From its classical style, it ape
pears to be either an original antique, or a copy from some
Grecian statue—perhaps the production of an Italian
sculptor. At any rate, it does not seem a work of modern
art. The person represented is, it is conjectured, a vestal,
or more likely a female slave in attendance. The counte-
nance has rather a sombre cast. The mystery is, howsesad
from whence the image got into the brook. From the cir-
curnstauces of the paper in which it was enveloped being
little affected by the water, and the bed of the stream hiving
been cleared about two years since, it cannot have reakained
there for a long period. The probability is, that if "
been stolen from some gentleman's. seat, and, as - has
able article, thrown into the water to avoid des.-
an unsale-
iegharn Revinc4 .CCEOLIow..2VOt.