SALE OF BEER. (Hansard, 7 May 1832)

§ Mr. Littleton
had to present Petitions for the amendment of the Sale of Beer Act from Cheadle, Harley, and Shelton. The petitioners prayed that, the Act might be amended in the part which related to beer consumed on the premises; and that beer might be sold for a limited period only on Sundays, and that the licensing of persons of this description should be limited to those whose rental was 10l. per annum; and that such houses should be immediately under the control of the Magistracy. He did not agree with the whole prayer of the petition, but with that part of it which referred to the limitation to houses of 10l. a-year, and to these houses being in some measure under the control of the Magistracy. He would admit that it was in opposition to his general ideas of the propriety of free trade that he supported the prayer of the petitions, believing that in this instance particular care was necessary to prevent an abuse of the law.

Mr. Hume
could not tell how to reconcile the support of a free-trade system with the advocacy of restrictive measures. He thought that the Magistracy had a strong hankering after a similar monopoly in the licensing of beer shops that they enjoyed over that of the public-houses, but he thought, any further legislative interference was wholly unnecessary, at least, until the present system had had more time afforded to it. Up to the present moment there had, reckoning from the commencement of the operations under the Beer Bill, been a constant decrease in the number of beer shops; from several places he had received an account of the decrease, which reduction he found to be in the proportion of thirty to twelve or thirteen, nearly two-thirds of 734 the number originally opened. He knew not why the poor man should not have the same facility afforded to him for the purchase of his glass of beer, as the rich man for his glass of port; and, he hoped, that more time would be afforded for the fair working of the measure, before any alteration in the present law should take place.

§ Mr. Trevor
agreed with the petitioners at to the evils resulting to the poorer classes of the people from the passing of this measure, although he was not prepared to say in what manner those evils might be remedied. The hon. member for Staffordshire might, with very little trouble, have satisfied himself as to the state of these beer houses, the evils of which were a subject of complaint throughout the country. He had received communications from various quarters, all complaining of these evils, and some restraint ought to be imposed.

§ Mr. John Wood
believed that in nine cases out of ten in which these evils had occurred, they had arisen from beer houses being compelled to shut up at an earlier hour than public houses. Why should a person be allowed to drink at a public house and be denied that privilege at a beer house? He thought with his hon. friend the member for Middlesex, that there should be no restriction, for the number of these houses, would of itself diminish the imposing of any restrictions on the enjoyments of the industrious classes of the people.

§ Mr. Sanford
said, much evil had arisen from the indiscriminate manner in which these licenses were granted, to check which some restraints were necessary. Complaints were made from every part of the country of the demoralization of the lower classes of the people, and of the great increase of crime since the passing of this measure. There might be, and no doubt had been cases where the power of licensing had been abused, but it was very hard to say that the country magistrates complained of these evils because they wanted additional powers. They viewed with regret the extreme demoralization of the poorer classes; and witnessing this, and the way in which the poorer classes spent their money in these beer houses, instead of carrying it home for the support of their families, the Magistrates, and others, felt it their duty to state these circumstances. Much good would arise from fixing a rate below which houses should not be licensed.

Mr. Fysche Palmer
confirmed the account of the hon. member for Middlesex, as to the decrease of these beer shops, the proprietors of which, not finding it answer their purpose, had been compelled in many instances, to close them. There was a general cry against these beer shops, without much justification. Up to the present moment time had not been allowed to ascertain the benefits or evils arising from the measure: it was too much to expect that a system which had been in operation only two years should be perfect; the evils with which it was charged, would, he believed, cure themselves in a little time.