Star.
London, England, 1817-06-07 00:00:00

HOUbE OF COMMONS.

SI veral Inclosure, _Krum], and other Prorate Bills, were for.
u.,r,Std thrrl,gh their rewective cages.
Mr (.04WON moved, that there be laid before the House
an :Kenitra ot the l4ums Said into the City Chan* r fur tbe last
live years, by persons who have been excused from 'le WV.
ing the office ot Shetiff, with the names of the said persons..—
. Ordered
Mr. JONES moved, that leave of absencnbe granted to Lord
KINaINGINN, on the ground of lapin private business. Ihe
111.,tiots was opposed by Mr. Calvi•uoatr, and supported by Mr.
s eel% o mai a. It was cariied m the affirnsative.
several Members nleained leave ref absgnce on account of the
illness ut thcrasselves or famines. Many others obtained leave of
absirticv on the grouril or urgent private business.
• Sir M. W. RIDLEY obj'-cted to these motions, as calculated
to withdraw Members, when important public matters were to
be agitated.
Mr. PHILLIPS insisted that no pres-ing business
.ought to
be suffered to inserter. as an excuse for having the House,
when a Call of the House was intended. He hoped other per•
eons would not be harassed on account of the Call, when so
. many had hail leave of absence, without any iffscure reason
being asskned.
'I he ( leak of the Peace's Fee Pill was read a second time. •
Ihe House went Into a Committee on the Irish Saving Banks
Bill, when Anientimentswere agreed re.—Report on Monday.
Mr DA VF.NPOR presented a Petition from certain Mann-
., factures's, Weavers, and others of Stockport, complaining of their
distresses and am iboting them partly to the unlimited exporta-
tion of distresses,
Yarn, and prams that they may be allowed to
manufacture their own yarn.
Mr. CAWTHORN spoke in favour of an tawdry Into the
subject, wirch he considered of the greatest importance.= many
of the Mantracturen of Lancashire could now only Gam about
fodr shillings a week, who used toren: lass. or 20$. He recom.
milder' the referring of the Petition to a Committee ot the
whole House.
Mr: /MERTON evoke to the It efflatt.—The Petineo was
them ordered to lie on the table, and be painted.
A Message from tin LOOS annottneed their Assent to the
Glasgow Gas Light Act.
Accounts relative to the receipts of the Duties applicable to
the Orrhans* Fund, were ordered:
The Sugar Bounties Bill was read a second time.
The Monsieur in &nova Parts Bill, was read a third time,
and passed.

runuc Hors's.

Mr. BENNET rose to move for leave to bring in
a Bill for thebetter Regulation of Public-houses.—
He did this in conformity rids a Resolution of the
Police Committee, of which be had the honour of
being Chairman. It was unnecessary for him to de-
tain the House at any length on this subject, as the
Committee had Made a Report to the House on the
preyed' state of roblic-houses, in which it was shewn
that some legislative 'interference was necessary. He
knevi that it had been said, that many of the facts
which had been stated to prole the iniquity of the
present system were either unfounded or grossly mis-
rept esented ; howevet, he would undertake to declare
that there were at least two hundred disorderly ,
buses in London, of one description or other, in
which the most disgusting scenes of vice and profli.
gacy were constantly witnessed. These houses were
welt known toe Police r indeed, many of the OLE-
cers had a fellow-feeling in them ; and the Magis-
trates were not ignorant ef their existence, and yet no
attempt was made to suppress them—(Hear, hear.)
W as it not time, then, that tl:e House should inter-
fere lie lamented to say, that there were some
Public houses in which not only men and women
assembled for the purpose's of depravity, but infants
of from eight to ten years of age also met for similar
objezts—(Htar, hear.) 'l'he evil was great and va-
le. sire : these houses were the receptacles of the
Trost abandoned characters, affording them facilities
iu their dishonest and abominable practices. He had
been informed, that in one of them, a boy, thirteen
years of age, had disposel of property to the amount
of one hundred pounds in one night—(Hear, hear.)
In tact, it appeared that these wretches had formed
e•emselves into a community, and instituted some-
thing like a system of jurisprudence among them-
selve,, w.Cs a 'Jew at the head of their Court of Jus-
tice, who determined the quarrels which arose among
deem hear,hear.) The Publicans were '
parties to this system, n at least crigniiant of them.
I„; • proposed, in the Bill which he ii.tcsided to bring
iii, to make it necessary for a Publican to obtain
character, not from his immediate ceighbours,as was
sofa, the case, but from the wish in Which he last
lived, and for this testimony in, his favour to be signed
by a greater number of persons titan was now re-
quired. In the next place, it. was his intention to
make the fines heavier fir misconduct; and, upon a
third etre*, to forfeit their recognizance:, and ren-
der them itkapable of keeping a Public-house again.
_Another part of the evil arose from the monopoly of
Public-hodlei which the Brewers enjoyed, which lea
the Pubficant at their mercy, and consequently they
were obliged*, offer their customers any trash which
their landidlis sea them. The consequence was,
that the Pioblie in many 'instances used table-beer in-
stead ut putter, by which the Revenue suffered. H,
pr4potiera clause 'which would hate al( effect

of throwing the Trade much more open. The Com-
mitre had also suggested the propriety of taking
away the power of licensing from Magistrates who'
happened to be Brewers. and to leave the question of.
forfeited recognizances to be determined in all cases
by a Jury, instead of leaving the power in the Lands
of the Magistrates. He had no intention of impugn.
ing the character of the Magistrates generally. No
man respected them as a body more than I.e did ;
but it was a tact that the business of licensing was
generally confided to two or three in a district, and
they frequently happened to be persons interested in
such questions, as Brewers, or in some other way.—
He was thoroughly convinced that the best security
for the orderly management of Public-houses woulJ
be, to leave the holders of them independent and free
from every kind of influence. They would then rest
'heir hopes of 'success in business upon their good
characters mad strict propriety of conduct. Alter a
few more observations, the Hon. Member concluded
with moving for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the
system of licensing Public-houses in England.
Mr. S. WORTLEY expressed his surprise at the
proceeding of the Honourable Member. That House
appointed a Committee to inquire into the Police of
the Metropolis, who made * Report upon a particular
subject connected with the inquiry, and then wished
to bring in a Bill affecting the Police of the whole
country, instead of the Metropolis only. With respect
to the proposed enactments, he objected to many of
them, and to none more than those which went to
take away the present power belooging to Magistrates.
Until it was proved that that postotr was generally
abused, it would be too much to legislate against the
whole kingdom, because a few instances of abuse
existed in the capital.
Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW said, that having, early
in ,the Session, presented a Petition from 2000 Li-
censed Victuallers, complaining of the law as it now
stood, he felt himself called upon to support the mo-
tion of the Honourable Member. He.coold not say
that he approved of all the proposed clauses, but
many of them were wholly unobjectionable. Perhaps
it would be possible to adopt some modifications of
the Bill, which would adequately meet the inconve-
nience of vesting an absolute and unconditional power
in Magistrates. With respect to the alleged irregu-
larity of the Committee entering upon such an in-
quiry, he wished to state, that the Petition from the
Licensed Victuallers was specially referred to that
Committee; and therefore they did nut exceed their
powers in reporting upon the subject.
Mr. H. SUMNER said it would have been com-
petent to the Honourable Member, Mr. Bennett, to
have made such a motion, without any reference to
the proceedings of the Committee. Convinced that
the bill would be a public advantage rather than
otherwise, he should give his support to the motion.
Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE observed, that if the
Hon. Member wh'o objected to the motion had seen
the evidence which was laid before the Committee,
he would have found that it related not merely to the
county of Middlesex, but to various other parts of the
country, Beikshtre, Surrey, Ste. He thought there
were great evils in the present system, and therefore
he should support a proposition which tended to re-
move those evils.

Mr. BENNETT said, one of his views in propo-
sing the Measure was to sate publicans from those
petty tyranti whO might wish to keep a power over
them with a view to 400sioss p orpotes. H. meant to
provide for the good behaviour of the publican, by
making it necessary fur him to procure a character
from sia respectable inhabitants, together with the
Churchwardens of the Parish in which he resided ;
or from twelve inhabitants in case the Churchwardens
refused to sign.
Mr. BENNETT then brought in the Bill, which
was read a first time, and ordered to be printed.

LORD COLCIIIISTIR'S Linn.
The SPEAKER said I have to acquaint the
House, that I have this day received a letter from
Lord Colchester, in acknowledgement of the Resolu-
tion agreed to yesteiday. which, with the pleasure of
the House, I will read."—He then read as follows:
TO TEM RION.? MON. 1117 SPIAZSR Of Tilt 100111 Of COMMONS,