§ Mr. Brougham,in moving for leave to bring in a bill to regulate the retail trade in Beer, observed, that it was exactly the same bill as that which had passed through several stages in the last session. As soon as the bill should be brought in, it was his intention to move, that it be postponed until after the Easter recess, not merely on account of his being under the necessity of leaving town, but because the chancellor of the exchequer had intimated his intention of proposing a measure, tending towards the accomplishment of the same objects. He should have great satisfaction in seeing his measure taken up by so powerful a foster-parent; and though he could scarcely hope, that the right hon. gentleman's measure would go to the full extent of his own, yet, to whatever extent it might go, he was persuaded it would effect a great improvement in the present state of the law; that it would relieve the agriculturists, especially those who had light land, which was better adapted to the cultivation of barley than of wheat; and that it would tend greatly to increase the comfort, and advance the morals of the industrious classes of the community. 302 He would add one word more upon that which followed as a necessary corollary from the principle upon which the bill was founded; he meant an alteration or modification of the duties on beer and malt. Such was the inequality with which those duties pressed upon the lower classes, that the poor man, who bought his beer of the common brewer, actually paid, in the shape of duties, more than twice as much as the rich man who brewed his own beer. At a time when the people of England might, for the honour of the country, be very soon called upon to make great sacrifices, it was peculiarly incumbent upon the government to omit no opportunity of conciliating and relieving the poor classes of the community. He concluded by moving "for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the Retail Trade in Beer and Ale."
Mr. Alderman Woodregretted that the measure of the learned gentleman differed from that which he had proposed last year.
§ Mr. Broughamsaid, the bill was precisely the same as that which he had proposed last year. He was not bound to find memory for the worthy alderman; all he was bound to do, in introducing the bill, was to make what appeared to him to be sound and apposite observations, which he was sorry the worthy alderman had so entirely failed to understand.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, the reduction of taxation which had already been proposed, would be of considerable advantage to the poorer classes. The measure which he had to bring forward would be, he trusted, advantageous to all classes of the community, and to none more than to that class, whose interest was supposed to be most affected by this article. His object was, in short, that the best beer should be obtained at the lowest price.