§ SIR FITZROY KELLYsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether a Return can be made by the Government of the quantity of Beer sold in the United Kingdom in any one year; and, if so, whether there is any objection to a Motion for such a Return for the years 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERUnfortunately, Sir, it is not in our power to give any Returns on the subject which I could in any manner guarantee. There are apparently the means of rendering such Returns, because the licences of brewers are charged according to a scale, the steps of which are described by so many barrels of beer. Therefore, it may be supposed that we have the power of giving very nearly the number of barrels of beer. But in point of fact, although that law is founded, and always has been founded, on a certain number of barrels of beer— that is, a supposed number of barrels of beer, or the number of barrels of beer computed to be brewed from the quantity of malt used by each maltster, which quantity of malt of course is known—yet there is no rule of knowledge whatever. In point of fact, information given on that ground, while it might mislead people by an appearance of reality, would be but of a deceptive character.