PEB. V, 'THE NATIONAL lILGISTEIL BREWERS MONOPOLY. On Monday last a Meeting tutik place at the Crown am: Anchor Tavern, upon this important subject, Sir tient y Wit sun in the Chair. In opening the lansiness of the Meetin4, Sir Henry hrietly dweii aeon the harthitiips woich the poorer cla,ies endured boas hie advance made id the price of Porter. lie unites!, that a 4 the Brewers bail the reputation of being lionotirthie meat:ley wank! not,permit a Nentiat•tit to go forth thartiol are C41401e of acts of opirrew.ion, nut by theie.-Ive4 or their agents emir.? fLatvarti and atetu NAM! team ground they heti made the pr4lieuttolvance. Mr. Drstry (a B river) strum* animadverted upon the injustice of attributing the adreance to the monopoly of. yw Brewers. He stated thet there was a deity of ten shillwgs eer l barrel un the beer, which amounted to lid. per pot, then tlavi Mit Way amounted to 7-I6tbs of a peony per poi. There' was also a heavy duty on foreign hops, whets amounted to a farthing on each pot of beer, all which deducted from the price received by the Brewer from the puolteen, left him hot threepeuce e oer pot. But beside the tarts ou malt :mil hops, the Brewer had a variety of other uses to pay, which greatly diminished his profits ; as the license fur hes ho:wing-p.in. and various other charges under the heed ulaaxes : and ailliouels tbe profit allowed uy the Brewer to the victualler was 25 per rent, on his retail prices, yet great se that might seem he was canvincA that victuallers, who were a mist industrious body of men, could scarcely make a kvelitiood fitidi this profit, when all their other heavy expenses were deducted. Haring thus shown, lie hoped, that the high price of beer did nut ache from what seal called a monopoly of the Brewers, but front the high price of their in aerials, and the weight of taxes, tinder which they 144eured. Its the article of foreign hops, to which they were obliged to resort from the great scarcity, and tetreine high price of the home commodity, there WAS an ad ditional duty of Is. 61 per pound, which added oae birthing per pot to 'he price of beer; so that the Brewer WAS under thenecessity of charging his present price for the commodity he sold, ur of abaulloniite a Wiliness which would otherwise yield no profit. He wished also to set right suing in. .acesracies which hail fallen from the clear respectieg the re election in the prices of malt. Previous to the first rise on ; teeter the malt was raised from dia. Sti. to Wis. the quarter.; crud now the average price is from leh. to 86s. the 'puler; so clew, so far from a rednction, there was au evident tacerese on the price. Mr. Beaumont said, that as the Gentleman who had just addressed the :useably leul concluded without e motion, lie should bring forward one liar their adoption. He had AC 4u:tinted himself with the history of Brewers end their prices for 26 years, but particularly fur the last few years; cud he could prove that the hissiness r as now carried on, was a coin place monopoly to the exclusion of that fair competition which took place fur the public advantage in every other article of cousumptiun. He contended, that from is fair cumperhou of the priers of the present period compered with this lime twelvemonth. there was a fall of ls. 2.1. per barrel in We ex. peace of niateriale; and the cousequeuce was, the Brewer, instead o f lowering, lucre:seed the COullinality five ahttcings per barrel. He had taken considerable piano with NM sish.• jest, but, wisbitug to be as accurate as possible, he had wait. ten down the result of his inquiries; and lie hoped the meet ing would puiluu hi is if lie took We liberty of reading from a paper which he had prepared, the 'detriment upon this saliject. Mr. Beaumont then read the following statement, which furnishes so accurate and clear a view of the subject that we: insert it entire:— ' I have at various periods heard the brewers say. that their trade' was not worth following. Now lam diposeit.to attach every tea sodable credit to the ileclaristionsof gantlet/lea of such eminence in society. I will therefore admit what they say to be true. thus tar, that at certain times, Wild] the 1114rket nee run nigh, they tin tam humane comaderatiOn for we coodmon of tue poor) forbore to raise the price of beer. as they migot justuLdily have done; Lley uLioe no profit; tiny even suffered loss: and mat fieir trade at those times WaellOt worth following; but amen tney did determine on tac, step. at all tittles so reluctantly talten by taco*, of raising one prase, they would not themselves !ix a losing price—For the loss bit a shilling or two per barrel, codzioueil for ye.tni upon their gr-At returns would be ruinous. would be too great a sweruice to expect from tne otiulic spirit of any rose. I re4ue.t my hearers to consoler well the touni,%s, or Otherwise, of tilts 'euitelusion, li.zeu.,e mach tit the subseguent reasoning is uutlt upon it. Referring back, tnerefore, to the prices per 'Jarred, just quoted, and wiliest are Sean to ne, Ln one case, a I.;uc miler the Inaritet price of tae nominal quantity of the noinmai material, and in ether cods, a little ILUOVe it, we may come to 4.1 inference, that the 111.trItet price of toe nominal qualities, and of the duty, is aa.ii.Aent led W.: seshag price of tue inananirtured articles, as it 'Ltd been made ui W.; years. I Wan: tills ii fair remoaiug upon their own data; bat let our, two, or Lace 411111415. be wadeu to sue inaritet pace oirhe prmessed materials. as a neees eery surphis of coarge per barrel. i have no oojectiou to it. Let them duce Ss. and they will nave more than they heti in several "ear;, VIA, in 17;ar, its Pit*, to ltitr, in 1813, ai,d in 1813. h will tact 10.itioW Wet the surpias diderence oeyond such ss. will be an extra pro bit to the lirewer, uniess, indeed, lie has ;import:to:l*bl.; added to the streagto oi toe oeer, but the surplus ditrereuce of Me :ening price of t ie Jeer over toot of .the rtusierial has been la some yews imneu.e. 18s. and Sits suildipwards. lithe auengthehing of me quality sued an Iei:ACM.4 we should have dad an r street oi in.dt so strong t..at it would have glued our lips toieuler— ii which e..L.4 :elms would now De thc:r 114.1 teen 110- of mite shad weer, generaliy si.aucing, fur toe last itteen or twenty years , ll.i :hi 0.1 a 11.riptd and vapid stream, without any mate:Lai ea:Lido:3. The excess of surplus then 11115 Ueen an shies. a emit to tut rinieer..ll.l,l When we consider toe iiiimease returns in bus info:, Eno: loc,lol uarreLs in a year is by no Welds equal to the qit.: - .ttly a:e4e.d.c.; we principal itrotiseSt teat in sue.l a trade an advaoce of half 5.i.11 barrel is eitgusl to .25.0/:IL and unit the ea t aace aa.u: plata ae. 1.1.;e4 as aideil beyond what, ::wonting to their owe sou whig mud wires of weir own tieing is a 'unison p.0.e., sva may re.ta.iy.e.wout for toe princely lertuites Wate.i mire been 11141 J its t to 141 4 short time, and me ju ALA: of tile complaints of the Lio.viriog classes. et whose expeller suet fortunes are 111.01 C.— I.:I W tit aueratiorts of tue price an a sueeessive order, with a view of discovering Lie occult causes of their canoes. Fur a year provilU, to toe dr t advance, merle by tie .6t,:wers 111 171)9, !id. Per le oaten WAS the 13041Lial surplus aJnVe tile mxwrial. 1.11/011 Li t it.e ideut a.i.anee in 14, t ie suvpiu., appeared sidle ILO another in 18./3, tie th.larehz.: was 71. V. pre— frzse.l nuitanals Can IlLwe by la. per parted,. t.uan tile user when 1.1.1de W.:, and for. file 113-iter...l4 Lien e.leilker 15 per Cent UpOtt Waieil tic dr.:N.:re in IhWi toasted nien pita/C. 11 per cent, and. snide i i r .urplas 7,. 9.1. ; tois. was tale; so madly uy Lae public, that in less ti. 1 1 41 1 . 10( 1114.10104 Role suite la all tali wade lowering from 11 to 43, upon toe red.:4414.L0. 34. 111 1.14 a1.5...11.114. MC BMW ell raised taeir prices 5,. fir mazer: as Jam:4104121.. to 15s. ; and tie beer was raiaaa from 25a to 15s..but a clanaa wits yet waamig.—..• . , In .114, I SO. t.i.ira Via, a rne Or la. in LLl.hittaloei. Oclng 3;. tote lAA prize. wit:a tie Lelia 4'4, at - 334. eila rattler I.le price i.i l iJ2, .v.1.:.1 aarr.l , ; Lladet . t.loie eireninst ineel bit' elleaMehl in alaterialii, k ink:et.) the None was raisito hi 455. barra—tu et ler worth, ileCr was rhi:ed to 3d. per lot, riatte toe hops and duty, collecuvely were less than they were is 17,0.1 57 s when beer was salter tareepenee haltruny pet pot ! An encesa of tinny. Ile had conversed with several members of Parham( et at three nalf-pence per,pot ovinsteeitier profits, :aid be it always bore in to the inside of getting rid of this system of licensing; but the whole mhed, that wi alvaitee of a single lialf-pently gives eu,0)01. to the appeared to be bad, that it could not be mended, fur it would be Brewers of 20,919 barrels. At period, the Brewers wens far necessary to change the whole systent in principle. Licenses indeed • inure insatatile than now. They foaral by experience that they bad weir waisted fur many ianue.e.it purpmea. sac.' as a license to flour only to li e a price, sad the public nuut . pay it. Upon a smell ad- ones hair , a license to be tuerried, Ste. rind all these wer eeas il y oh vance in th e materials. tae: store, they tithed their price two step; at i twined; but the licenses for selling beer were not to be had. except I once. from 3.1. to lA, per pot, the bJer at the sane time :wine most at the arbitrary will of a ret of magistrates. Alice as they all must , wretched. Upon this the Golden-lane brewery win projected, when be to the injeriuusness of this system, they must not patiently the Brewers ilcew in their horns, and went b ick instantly from ed. to sit down under it, particularly so, when if they knew what he had sd. Ties camactitioa dal tie palate. great seevace: itcskuseatheLiu,lity sewn the numbers ' .ho hadlseen ruined and thriven to workh ous e s of tile beet to be metaled. and the price* to be kept down, while the in cans:am-nee of it. %Vas .t ts be endue-xi, that a power should material rose; nor tha tee Brewers thee venture to raise their prices existattlis day which had been Unbidden in the reigns of Edward, for eigat yaws. 'Pais estahlisittueat throve fur some tinsel bat, as of .13.1‘.!5. and Charles ? Bat he would rather submit to the tyranny. Ia u toil. using to indana lagement, to many disseivuustaes arising of that •King, than to the arbitrary desimtisin of some Weaned: of Croat the hostility anti power of the Brewers; to their also:tiers peaty tyrants. 'The only use lie had ever known in the present systeta in low neignaaarhootis leaving them for other breweries where they Mid:easing wet, that it exhibi te d a diSgUlltillg pletUle Of arbitrary expert a better proteettoa in taeir licenses, and, above all, to power. Oa a prownitio i tar takina *way the ilt-eretiuoary power, Itheir being oblig e d fro m t h e pu bli c nature o f their ecanunts, to adhere they were called upon to consider die property which was a t sta k e ; to melt and hops only, they havens): been prosperous. 'file next in- with this property. he submitted, they had nothing to du. Every crease was made in tea. It only l e f t a surplai ditier,lnce ut il. ss. fartaiagof the capital which will laid out was so expended, sole:7 between the price of the material and Of beer when with a view to commanding trade right or wrong—theara—lf 'fie value of titeiustetials increased still ingliewend theltrewerstaand I Brewer laid o.lt a hundred &missend paunds in houses, end aasither it necessary to make a still further increase in .tan. teat. :file price Ineulred thousand in trade, his object was o gain profit by Both ; was now raised to its highest pitch, viz. to the prier we !tow are called and thus die public paid not alone for a decoetitia ut nialt and (lops. to upon p.iy, but the inere.is.,/, price only left the bee ai.:rs a surplus of • but tin :in in tasion of licences !cheers),—lt was naturally asked. how 2s. till. suave the eureka. price of the in ueriaL Soon, h owever , t e e a redress of these abuses; was to he obtained ? lie athinued that the material dropped in price ; not so the price of bee.r. The brewers were task would be an arduous one; but at the acne time he wee satisfied nut now so desirous of disturbing theaettled order of things. Their that it .vas nut a hopeless one. It was true that there was a great surplus row to newly got. per b arre l. Mr. Vimsittart, I thins: i t phalanx of power and interest against t h em , b ut t h e power of the was, hereupon camplained in the lions:. of Commons of the un- public was great also. *flaw had also a tree press in their favour ; reasonable prices ut t h e Brewer s . when Mr. I%'tutbeead replied, and it was but just to remark, that all the newspapers, of whatever that they tthe brewer:) had maenad, and hal detenuined not to political principle*, alvozated zealously and ably the cause of the lower the price, bat to inims- we the quality. Before the next public Ott this sub j ect, and joined in deprecating the system of the sitting of Parliament, however, they thought proper to take titre Brewers.--(1.0uel and repeated cheers).—Under all the circuit:steams. kilf i wany per pet, reducing the surplus, which hail been eighteen he repeated, that he thought their wee far from hopeless, and trustee ' shillings and taree hait'pence to the ye: la c sitrplus of Mantic'. that by one common zeal, and by detenninal perse.verance. thee shillings and tivelienee-lialfpenny. The next year they took uti'ano- would have old beer and old prices. —(Cheers.)—lit conclusion, a J ',her haitiMilly. In the succeeding year, 1816. the prtei: of the ma- honourable Gentleman deelared his intention to move the string Italia& row, and upon this. staaage say , they reduced their beer of resolutions which he hail alreuly published ia some of the pub another &ailing. The reason that could Malice these gentlemen, he papers, in order that it might not be supposed his intention was after continuing their price at 435. for a year and a half, upon the of an underhand or unfair tlesciiption. He t h en moved the first ce rise of their materials, to lower their price to 40s. is quite inexplica- . solution. ble; useless, indeed, the inv e . t i aat i ons o f t h e Vance Committee. : n ilea high legal anthorities have declared all monopolies to be thea beeumirg public, imeenal die deaision. Sinai then there has against the ancientand funilaineetallaws of Cie realm, and injurious been two steps of inae.sse of prices, both in innterialS and in beer to the public ; nest, by raising Cie price of comauelithe ; second. but, since the .rise in January List year, the price of materials has bysliminishimatheir quality ; third lay iumaveridiing poor naantalac - lessened; the amount of malt. hops, and (key, is is. 2d. per barrel curer,." kis than it was last year. Now, what is dare upon this degree of After ale. Tillocla Mr. Shahs, Mr. !ablates. awl dr. Gird. expense? The barrel of beer is missal Si., the quart raised from her s had generally aaslressed the meeting, Mr. Iteamiluntas lieeperice-!halfpenny toner:nee. The materials now amount to no Resolutions. which embodied the statements made in his more then tortyawe shillings and tivepenceshalfpeuny per barrel, , s etc., were put and carried, and the meeting adjourued. a-id the price to . tile consumer is raised equal to the highest price ' chmgial during the stir, when the war milt tax was on, and tie price of tee tuateriabi was 51s. 6d. seven shillings inure than at pre sent ; tat let us view the effete of this rise in tile aggregate, not that the profit now exacted is half so excessive as others in loaner years, in 18043, - 141.i. and late, fur instance. First. I thins: we limy fairly assume, ihat the Brewers last year, ilia Lisa tax a price to =rry on' a losing trade, and the expenses have *thee been lessening. I know that Lerge wire given by the Brewers 'luring that year fur terms in Licensed housft, that is, fur the privilege- sa selling beer -8001. fur one station, 1.0001. tor another, I.sasiL for a tarn, and so on—pretty istrom; symtuals that brewing then commanded a profit worth having. 'rite cis. id. per bairel surplus above last year's prices of materials given by the List rise may therefore be considered as an extra profit. We trill first examine the effect of this on the trade of a single house. fine house, deservedly popular, brewed 330,201 barrels in 1816. The extra profits to that house aeon one year's trade, therefore wail give a stun of 101,814 h 19*. But the whole amount brewed by the eleven breweries, in the same year, was 1,446,0.38 barrels. upon which the extra profit give 445,66;1. Is. 4th. by use, the gr atcr part. uf which is extracted front the pockets of the labouring .poor of the metropolis. A tine harvest' truly ! ‘VitlioUt any particular exealan of altellect, without any risk, a few gentlemen, the heads of the eleven breweries, meet together, combine, and rive the word for nearly half a million mediae to be transferred from the pockcts.oi the. poor. Mr. B. theu proceeded to read abstracts from the deferent Acts of Parliament WiIICII nad been passed in ditereut periods of our history on the sub ject of brewing ; and it would be wen that all those Acts were first in favour of the liberty of the people ; but that the Act, passed in modern times were directly of contrary tendency. An Act of Henry 111. fixed the price of beer according to the price of barley. An Act of the 23d of Edward 111. fixed the assize of beer. In the reign of Edward IV. an Act was passed for granting letters patent in rayour of Brewers, who (lien acquired a monopoly so offensive to the.: subjects. and by which the extortions of Brewers became so great.; that it was found necessary to abolish the patents teat :wanted these monoatilies. In the reign of !leery VIII. and Edward V.I. Acts were passed against Brewers found conspiring to raise the ,price al beer ;' and far such offences they were to be punished by standing is the pil lory, having one ear cut off, And to be subject to perpetual infamy. In the reign of EdwartlVl. an Act was pas , eil to empower magistrates to grant licences to pilo:ic ins ; but that W,:9 done oily for the purpose of preventing the Ltd and diaaderly behaviour waich prevailed in publie-houses. James I. afterwards granted letters patent to Brewers ; his sod . ...:siarles MI the same., and made them pay .arge suais of mo ney for the licenses; but lies object is doing this was only to put the money into his 43Na exclexpier. In those letters it was stated, as one of the reasons for issuina them, that the beer 'was too strong and heady, and cause' intheication. (Loud laughter). It sesureil that this hang iu his paternal solidi ode for the heads of his subjects—a aria:hada which they did not afterwards show for his heitil—(loud laughter and applause)—tiiought proper to as sign this as time reason for issuing his patents. After this, in 1664, the trade beesune completely free and open ; because die oppressions of former times coeld no longer be auuurtel; and it was not until the reign of George IL that the present system of licensing was adopted. The intention and avowed object was to check the disorderly prac• tices that prevailed in public-houses, and it was enacted that licenses should be granted only for one year, at the expiration of which time the iicenseewere to be renewed. It was this Act which laid the founda tion eft' tt monopoly which now existed, and rendered the fabric of it complete. It gave justices the power of deciding, without appeal, what persons s'iould obtain brewers; and constituted little parcels of justices in every diorict, the absolute masters of the licensing trade. A free trade existed at that rime; the Ilrewers were very numerous ; vast capitals were not accumulated by individuals, and the growing evils of ruonopely were not perceived. But durina these lest 30 years to re being a vast increase of new houses , in the inctropelis, the Brewers were able to get possession of alarist all the public-houses: and then the present monopoly began to be completed a 11.1 that, at the present moment, the whale trade of brewing was concentrated in the !tends of eleven great brewers. It was not hit Ace: now to go into a detail of all the oppressions which had then of late years out .ef vie present sylt. , Ol sm.:lout they were to be found in the police reports, and in reports of prreweetti pi in comes of.Mstice. sill which were airenly hefore the public. It appeared by one pr.a.Yeding in a court of law, duin alit:cues had been teasel away f,tim e 1 publican, be• came he had voted for a particular candidate at an electron, in oppo sition to the will of taelieensing nreastrate. And it would appear that others had lust their hutissa only ter caangina :heir Prewers, :end othces or selling beer at an under price. Sii:h eireemstancia .were detailed in the ppliseereports ; and ut 'his inom:t persons be found, in prwens and in wnekhoucs, yam mese, ruined, And ',Aged to take shee'''r there, in enesequenee of having . been sinjastly aienrived of their licenses. lb : nes t hi mse lf b een i n foreign. countries, and conversed with several magistrates and vie tliAilltel ill Howe countries; valeta be found that no such nrbitrary 'smart us was new exercised An. England existed. Any man who had sunieient capital and a ;east character might brew mid sell hoer. Sikh was the practice at this tLoasciat in Praaci:, Helm!, r.nd Ger- Link INTELLIGENCE. clurrr OF KlNtki III:\ k;,f, TingsoAT, JAN. 29. WILLIAM ASHFORD V. ABR MAYA THORNTON, IN AN APPLAL OF MURDER. The prisoner was put to the bar at J o'clock, a more than usual concourse of spectators being asseodded. At half-pat 10 Clarke, Gurney, Richanison, and Ciiitty, on behalf of the and I.lessrs. Reader. Reynolds, and Tindal (the utter thr tile first time), for the appellee. took their seats as usual. The whole Court soon alter entered, Mr. Justice llayley-iiaving previously sat to take motions of course. Lord Ellenborough called upon Mr. Clarke, who said, that the appeltur, %Valiant A , ltfortl„ was ut Court, and W 8.4 prepared to pu: in his answer to the replic.ition of the appellee. The foll..wing demurrer was then tatt.led by William Ashford to Mr. Le Blanc, Master of the Pleas side of the Court 121 THE 1C1NG . ,3, BENCH, Thursday nest after 15 slays of St. Hilary,. in them!), dte. WILLIAM £SHFUII.I) V. ABRAHAM THORNTON. And the add WnLAahturd saith, &e. that the said replication of the said A br4ham Thornton to the counterplea abut], Lie Said Win. Ashford, is wholly insufficient in law to allow him, the said Abra ham Thornton, to wage his battle with him, the said William Ash ford ; and that he, the said William Ashrind, is not bound by the law of the Lnd to answer the same replication, and this lie is able and ready to verify whenever the Court ,hall think fit, &c. And therefore the said William Ashford prays j udgi tient, and 1114 time said Abraham 'cliornma may not be permitted to wage battle in this be half with him, the. said William Asiiihrtl. WILLIAM >I ASHFORD. M. Reader was then called upon by the Chief ustic..: Ile said • that the joind...r in demurrer was preparing to avoid further delay, and woulttb.: immediately delivered in. Mr. Clarke.—Then it only remaius for the Court to appoint a time fur arguing the clanurrer. By Tu..xtlay his side would be quite ready. Mr. Reader saw no objection to that day. Lord Ellenhorough.—lt is sugt;,sted that Tuesday is the great bail day, and one of the Judges will therefore be necessarily ab ent. Mr. Clarke.—Then, u your Lordship pleases, we will name Fri day week. Lord Ellenborough said that Friday, Feb. 6, would probably suit all parties. Mr. !leader said, that there would be no paper h ark to be deli vered to the Judges. but it would be tit that their La.lsiiils should be furnished with wine.; of all t..e p:cxevaings. Lind Ellunburough aswered, that they should be sent as early as Mr. tinder remarked. that it *wild be n ece*sary that the panics should att.'nd, aid the Court as. , enttal. _ _ Mr. Clarke.--1 understand that in this ,proceeding the parties are not entitled to copios of tile documents ; if the adverse party will be so 6j3,1 as to dire t th.tr copies mould be taken, trey cm he furnish ed, but utiierwise what we ahallwald to your lordship. would be inertly e.rparte. Mr. Rea lee replied, that he should most gladly :assist the other side by furnishing them with copies. Mr. Clarke pro? that each party should furnish copies of that part of the proceedings in which they were concerned. Mr. Justico Bayley.—The ai t chin should make out co;:ies of him • counterplea, and the appellee of his replication. Mr. limiter rind Mr. Clarke bath :toted their readiness to comply with this suggestion. Thcpr:canor and Win. Atilt:l)rd were about to leave the Court, the - former hiv.ingiv.tually been token from the bar. w;ien Mr. Reader desire that ciey might return while the appellu delivered in his joinder in demurrer. The joinder in dimurrer west thms handod to Mr. Le Blanc, who ob:ervcd, that it was not properly entitled. Mr. Tinilal that 34 it was delivered in by tho.party instanter. it need not be vnittic.l at all. It was read as follows :—_ . ......., .-- —..—_ . '• And the said Abraham t'firnton saith, that the said replication of him, the said Ahrii:;a.n Toonvon. to the said aninterplea et* him, the said Wm. A i.iAmi. in manner end form abo ve pl ua i!ed. with the several 'natters therein conuiitied,4se good anii suXhient matters to allow him the said , Ahndianr'i iiiitnten, to wa r .e hi . batile in this ap peal.rith :Liu said Wm. A...bfor s l. ans: which replication, and tile mat .. tae: therein contained, the said .'-brahani Tdoenton is rea.iy to verity a m prove. as di: Court arty direct. lie, th:ret,. re , prays yit.lgine ; : and that h: may b.: permitted to wage his battle in Lab uppt.itt, with him, the ...aid Win. Ashford.. A$ soon tus doeu.urtt hat been o!zit(l. :al the parties eetirecL A new comedy was read in the Green-room at Drury Liao Tlie.itre on evening List.