FEBRUARY m 



an endowment, which, whatever may be the letter of the law, 

 in Tact, as opposed to theory, the bench has little power to refuse. 

 Indeed, any such arbitrary act would be denounced and agitated 

 against as an attempt to offer violence to that god of the English, 

 the Rights of Property, unless it chanced that the management 

 of the house had been reported upon adversely by the police and 

 the license endorsed by the local bench. 



When this happens — and it does not often happen, since for 

 their own sakes the brewers are very careful whom they put in 

 — it is the occupier who is dismissed ; the house abides. On such 

 occasions the brewer's agent appears, apologises for the trouble, 

 and announces that the tenant has received notice or been got 

 rid of, whereon the bench has practically no option but to admit 

 any new nominee who can produce decent testimonials. The 

 great value of such an endowment, even in the case of a quiet 

 country town like Bungay, is shown by the fact that not many 

 years ago the local branch of the Oddfellows purchased the King's 

 Head for about i,8oo/., whereas at the recent auction it was sold 

 for over 6,500/., although I believe that the lease of the present 

 tenant of the inn has some years to run, during which time he 

 cannot be forced to sell any particular brand of beer or spirits. 



I confess I am unable to understand the advantages of this 

 system, that enables people with long purses to force the public 

 to buy any yellows-coloured liquor which they choose to honour 

 with the name of beer, although, in truth, in some instances it is, 

 I believe, scarcely more than a chemical compound manufactured 

 from I know not what. The only explanation is that, being the 

 wealthiest men and a magnificently organised power in this 

 land, the brewers are careful to stop any legislation which can 

 possibly cut into their great profits. 



As a further safeguard, most of them have made their busi- 

 nesses into public companies, in which they retain the controlling 

 interest, thereby converting tens of thousands of small share- 

 holders into their partners and enthusiastic supporters. How vast 

 and dangerous is their strength is well shown by the disaster that 



