The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-05 00:00:00

LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

A public meeting of this body was held on Wednesday.
in the Music-hall, to consider the clause intended to be
inserted in the Sanitary Bill, to the effect that public-
houses shall in future be closed during the whole of Sun-
day, except between one and three in the afternoon. Mr.
Solomon May was called to the chair.
Mr. H. DANSON moved the first resolution, to the ef-
fect that the clause was unnecessary, and in the course of a
lengthened speech, said that there were 1400 public-houses
and 600 beer-shops in Liverpool, so that the £-1000 di-
vided among them would be about £2 each on the aver-
age. If the £4OOO were divided among 100,000 of the
inhabitants,—assuming that that was about the number
of the lower-classes who drank in public.houses,--it
amounted to about 91. a-head ; and was it not a most
dreadful state of things for a man to spend 9d. on a Sun-
day—(laughter)—rather, was it anything unreasonable for
a man toiling six days in the week, to spend 9d. on a Sun-
day ? Ninepence never paid for Mr. Higgins's wine on a
Sunday. (Applause.) He was satisfied that to the mind
of a peculiarly religious man it was no very enviable po-
sition to stand up and oppose the passing of Mr. Hors
fall's motion ; but the fact was, that the motion was un-
timely. To reduce the comforts of the poor man in the
present barefaced manner was intolerable. Supposing
£6OOO or £7OOO were received in the public•houses of Li-
verpool on the Sunday, it, should be remembered that
there were many thousands of sailors entering and leav-
ing the port continually. Mr. Horsfall, though he en-
tered into statistics, omitted to mention that there was a
large amount of intemperance, drunkkenness, and crime,
laid to the door of the publican with which he had nothing
to do. Mr. Sands, in seconding Mr. Horsfall's motion,
referred to the number of drunkards brought before the
bench on the preceding Monday ; but Mr. Sands should
have candidly referred to a speeeh delivered by Sir J.
Graham, on that and other important subjects, in which
the increase was accounted for. Seven-eighths, or it
might be, nine-tenths, of the cases brought before Mr.
Rushton, were against beer•sellers and not against publi-
cans. Those who sell on the Sunday morning ought, in
every case, to be punished ; and he, speaking on behalf of
the Licensed Victuallers and the Protection Societies,
was of opinion that in every case in which the law was in-
fringed on the Sunday morning, a fine ought to be im-
posed without fee, favour, or affection. There were two
classes of licensed victuallers in Liverpool,—the one an
honest class; the other a grinding class, who should be
denounced and turned out of all respectable society. He
contended that the clause for, closing public-houses on
Sunday morning was called for by public necessity and
public opinion. He regretted to say that illicit distilla-
tion was now being carried on to as great an extent as
ever in Liverpool, although the police were doing all they
could to prevent it.
Mr. BREWER seconded the motion.

The other resolutions were to the effect, that drunkken-
ness arose principally from illicit distillation, and spirits
imported contraband, vended retail in sailors' lodging-
houses, cellars, and other private places—that the pro-
posed clause would turn the current of business into the
hands of the unprincipled and needy—and that the clause
should be strenuously opposed, and they were moved and
seconded by Mr. Atkinson, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Timothy
Parkinson, Mr. W. Livesedge, Mr. E. Marshall, Mr.
John Johnson, and Mr. Charles Chalk.
The following memorial, founded on the resolutions,
was agreed to be presented to the Council:—
" The Memorial of the undersigned Licensed Victuallers and
other inhabitants of Liverpool,
" Sheweth,—That your memorialists have learned with sur.
prise that it is the intention of some of the members of the
Town Council to promote the insertion of a clause in the Sana-
tory Bill, the effect of which would be to close public-houses
from the hour of three o'clock, p.m., on Sunday, until five
o'clock on Monday morning.
" Your memorialists respectfully beg leave to represent that
such a clause is calculated to interfere with the right of the
subject, and materially to curtail the social comforts of the
middle and labouring classes, whilst it will not interrupt those
occupations, such as the working of the docks and railways,
the sailing of steam•packets and merchant-vessels on that day,
from which source the wealthier portion of the community de-
rive so large a portion of their income, whose command or per-
sonal comforts. from their greater wealth, will not be interfered
with by the enactment of such a clause : further, that habits of
drunkenness in the population of Liverpool is not wholly attri-
butable to the licensed victuallers, but that the evil is materi-
ally aggravated by illicit spirits, distilled and imported contra-
band, which are vended retail in seamen's lodging houses, cel-
lars, and other places. Which facts are well known to the police,
though, from the difficulty attendant on detecting the same,
few cases are brought before the magistrates; that the causes
here alluded to materially interfere with the interests of the
fair trader, and your memorialists are c I' opinion that the intro-
duction of any such law will promote the illegal trading of the
unprincipled, and greatly damage the interests of those well
disposed to carry on their business according to law.
'• Your memorialists cannot leave the subject without advert-
ing to a circumstance which they fully believe has greatly tend-
ed to aggravate the evil of ardent liquors being vended contrary
to law, viz., the great number of additional licenses granted
during the last few years, which, by depreciating the business
of the fair trader, has tended, in some instances, to lessen the
personal feeling of responsibility on the part of a few unprinci-
pled licensed victuallers, whose illegal gains will be still more
promoted by any further restrictive measures.
" Your memorialists, therefore, respectfully pray that the
Council will not entertain any clause which may tend further
to restrict the business of the licensed victualler.
" And your memorialists will ever pray."

A child named Christopher Arlein, about twenty months
old, living in Kew-street, was scalded to death on Tuesday,
a pan of boiling water having been incautiously left in his
way.

DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—The secretary re-
ported that the men employed at the new docks had
stated, on being asked last Saturday evening, that they
were not members of any union.—A question was asked as
to what age it bad been decided by the committee persons
applying for situations under the Dock Trust were ineli-
gible. In the course of some conversation on the sub-
ject, it appeared that a rule had been passed on the Ist of
August, 1844, limiting the age to between 25 and 35, but
it was the general opinion of the members present, that
in many cases that law was found to act too arbitrarily,
and in the case of Mr. Cowan, who was six months above
the age, it had been put aside. It was ultimately ngreed
that in future it be left to the discretion of the committee.
—The sub-committee recommended that the. buoy on the
east side of the George's Basin be removed 50 feet from
its present position.—The accounts of the dock and light
dues were read, showing an increase over the same period
last year of £l2.—A. communication was also read as to
the want of accommodation at the south docks, &c. The
secretary stated that plans had been prepared, and that
they had been placed before some of the committee con-
nected with the timber trade.—A letter was placed before
the committee from the agent of the Drogheda Steam-
packet Company, stating that there was not sufficient
dock-room for their steamers now, and that they would
be placed at greater inconvenience when the new iron
steamer came upon the station. They, therefore, prayed
for more accommodation. Referred to the sub-commit-
tee.

SWINDLING.—Two men, named John Robinson and
Thomas Nichols, were on Tuesday charged with an at-
tempt to swindle Robert Frazer, a young gentleman with
a strong northern accent. The trick attempted is a very
old one. It appeared that a third party, seeing Frazer
staring about him with stranger-like simplicity, set him
down at once as a " green 'un," and accosting him, prof-
fered his services as cicerone to show him the Great
Britain steam-ship. The offer, made with such apparent
kindness, was as readily accepted ; and the two having
duly examined the gigantic proportions of this leviathan of
the deep, the man's kindness did not stop there, but he
offered to give Frazer a glass of ale if he would accompany
him to a neighbouring public-house. They accordingly
repaired to a house in Stanhope-street, where they found
the prisoner Robinson, and bad not sat long before the
prisoner Nichols came in. The conversation then turned
upon cards, and a pack being produced, the young gentle-
man was induced to bet, and in a very short time lost no
less than three sovereigns—the other parties in the mean-
time exhibiting a plentiful array of the needful. It was
proposed to Frazer that he should bet his watch, and his
suspicions becoming all at once aroused, he called out
lustily for the police, when his money was immediately
returned to him. Two policemen in plain clothing, who,
knowing the character of the parties, had been hovering
in the neighbourhood, then rushed in, and took the two
prisoners into custody. On their being searched a num-
ber of counterfeit sovereigns were found, and also several
"flash notes." The prisoners had been previously known
for the same kind of work, and were committed for trial.
—On the following day Frederick Smith, another of the
gang (supposed to be the most deeply involved), was
brought up and committed.
PAVING AND SEWERAGE.—At the weekly meeting of
commissioners, on Tuesday, Mr. Gladstone brought for-
ward the motion of which he had given notice, to the effect
that it wes not expedient for the public interests to pro-
ceed further with any of the bills before Parliament pro-
moted by the Board. The grounds on which he founded
his resolution were, that in a great town like Liverpool,
where the object was to legislate for the good of the whole
community, one great governing body was likely to be
more effective in its operation than where there were
several divided ones. Besides, the Corporation had funds
at command, while the trust had none; and it was a
matter of regret that two public bodies should be com-
peting against each other to obtain that which was so
essentially desirable, and what, on reflection, every one
would be satisfied must be best attended t o if left in the
bands of the Corporation. Ile thought they wouid find
the feeling of the town-was not with them, and if the Cor-
poration wolld only devote their attention to the subject,
and come with a well-digested measure next session, any
effort of the Board would be perfectly futile. Mr. Higgins
seconded the motion. Mr. Walthew said he had exam-
ined the bills of the Council and the Highway Board, and
he found that the bill of the former body contained no
provision for an abundant supply of water ; if they had
been desirous of improving the sanatory state of the town,
they ought to have provided a supply for domestic and
other purposes, as they were well aware of the unhealthy
state of the town, arising from the want of it. He moved
a resolution to the effect, that it would be most injurious
to the interests of the rate-payers, if the Board were to
withdraw their bill; and that it be persevered with, Mr.
Denton seconded Mr. Walthew's motion. Mr. Procter,
seconded by Mr. Brancker, moved a second amendment,
to the effect that a special meeting of the inhabitants be
called to take into consideration the two bills of the com-
missioners now before Parliament, to be held at the
Sessions-house, on Friday, the Bth instant. After con-
siderable discussion, Mr. Procter's resolution was carried.
On the motion of Mr. Cooper, it was agreed that a special
meeting of the Board should be called for Wednesday, to
consider.the two bills.