The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-08-01 00:00:00

of rating,ihe.limit depending on the population of
the town where the house is situate. This last
regnlatiurn was "intended as a means of affording
the lower classes an opportunity of obtaining beer
withoutresorting to spirit-shops,:and of producing
a wholesome competition in the supply of this
beverage. Experience, however, has proved its
failure for any good purpose. Beer-shops have,
with few exceptions, presented no advantages, and
in general have been frequented by *the worst of
characters, and too often for the worSt, of purposes.
The mode of licensing 'the trade i-n spirits, by
placing it under the supervision of the magistracy,
might be considered a sufficient check against its
being extended beyona the reasonable wants of the
community, or its offering too many inducements
to • dissipation mid profligacy. Experience has,
however, proved the fallacy of this idea. The
majority of licensed houses are the property of
wealthy brewers ana distillers, whose influence
over the magisterial `bench has' been'too great for
public morality, untiL a remedy fonatgrowing evil
has become a presking necessity. There are many
streets in our own -town in- whiCh licensed spirit-
shops out-number all other traileslar beyond the
possible requirements, and though the check has
been within the magistrates' hands by-their power
of refusal to grant -the necessary lieenses, and is
still in their hands by their power of refusal to
•renew them, the -mischief 'is suffered to proceed,
and drunkenness permitted to riot umikashed and
• woreproved. Any attempt to abate the evil already
committed by reducing the number is met by a
cry of its being injustice-to vested capital, and so
'ft proceeds, thereby 'rendering the check of magis-
terial supervision ,of .no value whatever, because
-the magistrates have not the moral courage to
perform their duty, :but prefer the interests of
Mammon to that of 'morality. It is considered an
-invidious task to refuse the renewal of a license
already granted ; but the trade might be weeded
of its superfluity by keeping a vigilant police-watch
,on the manner in which every licensed house is
conducted, and making a proved charge of ill-
conduct a disqualification for the renewal of the
license. The owners of the houses would then
have an efficient stimulus to look after the cha-
racters of their tenants, and many houses of ques-
tionable repute would soon be closed. A 'stricter
surveillance should also be kept an the adulteration
which is practised to a great extent, and every
instance should be severely punished not only by
fine, but by forfeiture of license. We revert, how-

ever, to the recommendations of the Committee,
which may thus be briefly stated :
No Intoxicating drinks to be sold without license.
Licenses to be issued by magistrates, at sessions held
for that purpose.

There shall be one uniform license for the -sale of intox-
icating drinks, and that shall be open to all.
Persons obtaining licenses shall be bound, and the sure-
ties shall be bound, for their due observance of the law.
The lowest amount to be paid for a license in rural
parishes and small towns shall be £6 in towns of 6,000
inhabitants; and not exceeding 10,000, the license to be
£B, and so on, but in no case to exceed £3O.
Inspectors of public-houses to be appointed, to report
upon the condition and conduct of such houses.
Coffee-shops, temperance hotels, and shellfish shops to
be required to be licensed, and visited and reported upon
in the same manner. The license to be issued for £2.
That, with the exception of from 1 to 2 in the day, and
from 6 to 9 in the evening, public-houses to be closed on
Sundays ; and on week days from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
That it is expedient that places of rational recreation
and instruction, now closed, should be open to the public
on Sunday afternoons, at the hour of two o'clock, and that
so far as any such places are now closed by the operation
of the law, such laws should be so far amended as to ena-
ble the Lord Chamberlain, or other competent authority,
to determine what places should be permitted to be so
opened, and for what length of time.
That the several laws relating to the regulation of
licensing of beershops and public-houses, and places of
entertainment, and the several provisions of the Police and
Excise Acts applying thereto, should be consolidated and
made in accordance with these resolutions.

The arbitrary power of granting or refusing
licenses would thus be taken out of the hands of
the magistrates, whose duty would be confined to
inquiry into the moral character and fitness of the
applicant, and their certificate would be an autho-
rity to the Board of Inland Revenue to grant the
license. Sureties are also to be taken for good
behaviour, and the charge for the license increased
according to the population of the town, without
reference to the rating of the house ; so that in
Liverpool and all large towns, a publican's license
would cost £3O annually. Inspectors are also to
be appointed, and coffee-houses and similar places
for refreshment placed under supervision. There
is one point, however, which the Committee do not
appear to have touched upon, and that is the com-
pelling every dealer in beer and spirits to be what
he professes to be—a licensed victualler. This was
enforced some years ago in the City of London,
where the magistrates refused in every case to
grant or renew a license, unless the front room on
the ground floor of the house was fitted as a tap-
room, with fire and other accommodations, so that
a working-man could cook his dinner ; and each
publican was bound to sell eatables as well as
drinkables. By this regulation a stop was put to