Huntingdon Bedford and Peterborough Gazette 31 Oct 1835: Letter about Trumpington beer shop keepers
SIR, — A sense of duty impels me to notice a statement in your paper of Saturday last, cautioning the keepers of beer shops (I mean those who are licensed to sell beer not to be drank or consumed on their premises) to be on their guard against persons who feign illness, and practice their tricks to induce the unwary beer-seller to let them drink on his premises. Now, sir, I beg leave to observe, your informant, (whoever he may be) has sadly prevented the truth in his gross misrepresentation on the subject.In the first place, information was given at the excise office so long back as February last, against the three houses in Trumpington (Marshall, Starnt, and Nightingale, junr.) and subsequently the detection of two of the party was accomplished, not by feigning illness and practicing tricks; but by persons comfortably sitting and smoking their pipes in company with others (although perhaps no smoker, you may imagine that pipes of tobacco is not an ordinary recipe in case of illness); however, the informations were not proceeded with, in the hope that the beer sellers would discontinue such practices, instead of which it had a diametrical opposite effect, and the complaint became long and loud, although not an unjust one. Suppose, for instance, one of the unstamped (about which so much has been said lately) were to vend the productions of his press, containing matter similar to that published in the Independent Press, you would loudly and very justly call upon the proper authorities to suppress such illegal traffic, and the public, I am sure, (the reflecting portion I mean) would properly appreciate your motive, seeing the injurious tendency toward the fair trader (vide Courier, Weekly Dispatch, Standard, &c, &c ). Now this is precisely the case with the fair trader, (id est) the publican, both old and new, the former paying according to the rate, rent, or value of his premises, and the latter the stipulated sum of 3 guineas, for the express purpose of selling beer to be consumed on or about his premises, and they consider (and properly) the one guinea beer sellers have not either an equitable or legal right to have the same privileges for which they pay two guineas extra, and therefore imperatively call upon the proper authorities to put a stop to such practices.
I can further state most positively, there is not an excise officer in Cambridge would descend to the paltry expedient of feigning illness to induce the unwary beer seller to let them drink on his premises; I think what I have stated about the pipes of tobacco will suffice upon that point.
It is also well known, that on Saturday, the 17th, after the parties had been apprised of the informations which had been given against them, one of them actually kept his house open to three o’clock on the Sunday morning, with persons drinking and smoking on the premises, much to the annoyance of the peaceable inhabitants.
Trusting to your known candour and impartiality for insertion in your valuable columns,
I remain, sir, your very obedient servant,
VERITAS.
Petty Cury, Oct, 28, 1835.