THE LICENSING SYSTEM.
SIR—Allow me to add to the very able notice of the recently-published Blue Book on the Licensing System, which appeared in your paper of De- cember 3d, a few words explanatory of the reason why, in many localities, the establishment of beer-houses has proved a total failure.
The clergy, magistracy, and licensed-victuallers, generally describe the beer-houses around them as low dens where drunkenness and immorality are rife, and whose proprietors are too often in league with the thieves and pros- titutes whom they harbour. They proudly point to the criminal returns to show how much oftener convictions are had against beer-shop keepers than against publicans.
The publican is allowed by his licence to sell wine, spirits, and malt liquor, and to keep his house open all night, and every night, save on the Sabbath. The licence of the beer-house keeper—living, perhaps, next door to him— restricts him to the sale of malt liquor alone, and enjoins him to close his house every night at eleven o'clock. It is, therefore, as completely out of the question that a beer-house keeper should compete successfully with a publican, as that a butcher restricted by law to the sale of mutton should compete with a neighbour at liberty to sell beef, veal, and lamb, as well as mutton. If the publican becomes desirous of getting rid of his competitor the beer- shop keeper next door, he has only to retail his malt liquor at prime cost for a season, living meanwhile on the profits he makes off the sale of his wine and spirits: the beer-shop keeper, having no other source of profit save his beer, must inevitably shut up shop: for if he does not sell it as good and as cheap as his antagonist, nobody will buy it; and if he does sell it as good and cheap as the publican, he will have no profit to subsist upon.
The chief portion of the convictions which are so often cited to prove the immorality of beer-shop keepers, are the result of informations for keeping open at illegal hours. Publicans, of course, are rarely convicted of this offence ; for in their case all hours are legal, save during divine service on Sundays. The result of the mislegislation on this subject is, that beer-shop keeping is a poor and desperate trade, only entered upon by needy and reck- less people; and if they are law-breakers, they are so because the law deals with them partially, unjustly, and absurdly. • What is really required is, that under stringent police regulations publi- can's licences should be granted to all applicants; and that offences should be punished not by withdrawal of the licence, which is easily evaded, but by heavy pecuniary fine.
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