The Earl of Winchilseapresented a Petition from Sitting bourne, in Kent, praying their Lordships to devise some means of giving Employment to the Labouring Classes; also a Petition from Lenham, praying for the Repeal of the Malt Duty. His Lordship expressed himself in favour of the reduction of the malt duty, which he considered would have a much more beneficial effect than the repeal of the beer-duty. The consequence of the repeal of the beer-duty had been the increase, to an enormous extent, of public-houses, beyond the control of the magistracy; and as they afforded commodious and convenient places for assembling, he attributed much of the disturbed state of the country to them. They were, besides, the means of encouraging smuggling, for though they were nominally opened for the sale of beer, their real object was, to dispose of smuggled spirits.
§ The Duke of Wellingtonwas sorry to hear the noble Earl state, that the repeal of the beer-duty had not been attended with all the benefits which had been expected from it. The tax was considered to be one bearing upon the poor, and therefore such as ought to be repealed. The noble Earl had stated, that the repeal of that tax had done much to occasion the disturbances which had lately taken place in the country; but he would remind the noble Earl, that the repeal of that duty did not take effect till the middle of October, and he believed that the noble Earl was aware that the disturbances in Kent commenced at an earlier period than that. The repeal of that tax could not, therefore, have occasioned those evils.
The Earl of Winchilseasaid, that he had not stated that the disturbances in Kent arose from the repeal of the duty on beer. What he said was, that those disturbances were very much increased by the conveniences afforded by the beer houses for the assembling of men together.