§ Mr. C. Dundaspresented a Petition from Newbury, in Berkshire, in favour of Emigration; and a Petition from the Magistrates assembled 1494 at Newbury, praying an alteration of the Beer Bill.
§ Mr. R. Palmersupported the prayer of this latter petition, and said, there was a general opinion in the county of Berks, that the drinking of Beer should not be allowed in houses which were rated at less than 20l. a year. The Meeting from which the petition emanated, was called in consequence of a circular from the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and the petition expressed the unanimous opinion of all the Magistrates present. It had been said elsewhere, by a noble Lord, that he was favourable to a restrictive clause being introduced into the Bill; and he (Mr. Palmer) regretted much that the noble and learned Lord (the Lord Chancellor) had not proposed such a clause when he was a Member of the House.
Mr. F. Palmersaid, that beer was now cheaper and better than it was before the ill of last Session passed, and he could not think that any mischief had arisen from the manner in which it was sold. He said this as a Magistrate, and he should be prepared to state the grounds on which he formed that opinion when the question came regularly before the House.
§ Petition to be printed.