The Bishop of Bath and Wellspresented a Petition from the Clergy of Bath, complaining of the alarming increase of immorality, pauperism, and vice, among the lower orders, arising from the great number of Beer-shops which had been opened under the Act of Parliament passed in last session. The right rev. Prelate concurred with the Petitioners in thinking that that Act of Parliament had had the most pernicious effect, and he believed that there never had been a Bill on the Statute-book more disgraceful to a Christian Country.
The Lord Chancellorsaid, that the right rev. Prelate was not the only person from whom he had heard complaints respecting the Beer Bill. He had, in truth, heard similar complaints made by various persons in the west and north of England; but he believed that in the west of England the effect, of it had been worse than in the north. He therefore thought it his duty to bear testimony to the accuracy of the right rev. Prelate's statement of the bad effects of that measure. The original plan of the Bill was, he believed, very different from that which had been adopted. He did not know by what accident the change had been effected; but he supposed it had taken place in some stages of the Bill in the House, of Commons. He had brought a Bill into the House of Commons, in 1822 and 1823; but the object of that Bill was expressly confined to making the sale of Beer open, provided it was not consumed on the premises where it was sold; and his purpose was, to enable the poor man to send his wife or daughter to buy a pot of beer at places where they were not likely to meet with improper company. From all the accounts he had received, it would appear that many of the late disturbances in the country had originated in Beer-shops. He thought, there- 844 fore, it would be expedient to take the subject into consideration, to see whether the evils complained of were merely temporary or confined to a small district; and if they were not found to be local in extent, and temporary in nature, he should wish to see the Bill repealed.
The Bishop of Bath and Wellswas glad to hear the candid statement of the noble and learned Lord. He had described the Bill as it was: he did not know what it was intended to be.