Kentish Gazette, 7 August 1855

The new Sale of Beer Bill

The bill brought in to repeal the unpopular Beer Act of last session, the 17th and 18th of Victoria, chap. 79. declares that “the laws now in force against the sale of fermented and distilled liquors on the Lord’s day have been found to be attended with inconvenience to the people,” and the 1st clause absolutely repeals the Beer Act now in force, and lately reported against by the select committee. Clause 2 prohibits licensed victuallers from selling wine, beer, or spirits, or any fermented or distilled liquors, between the hours of three and five p.m., or after eleven p.m., on Sunday, Christmas day, or Good Friday, or before four a.m., of the following day. Clause 3 prohibits the opening of “places of public resort” for the sale of liquor between the hours or after or before the hours already mentioned. The public will thus gain two and a half hours on Sundays, as the act about to be repealed closes public-houses from half past two till six p.m., and after ten p.m. Power is given to constables to enter public-houses, &c, at any time. The penalty tor selling liquors within the prohibited intervals is £5 for every separate sale. An appeal will lie to the quarter sessions. From the second report of the select committee on the Beer act of 1854, it appears that, when the adoption of the report was moved, Sir J. Pilkington, the member for Droitwich, moved an amendment, that “The committee had not yet received sufficient evidence as to the effect produced by the act of 1854 to justify a report to the house in the present session,” but Sir John was left in a minority of one, there being eleven votes against his amendment. The report was thereupon agreed to, and the bill whereof we have just given an abstract, is founded on its recommendations.