4. c. 61), which established general annual licensing meetings, to be held in every city, town, division, county, and riding, for the purposes of granting licences to sell exciseable liquors to be drunk on the premises.

[3] The act created a new tier of drinking establishment, the beerhouse, by enabling any ratepayer to brew and sell beer, ale and porter in their own domestic dwelling upon payment of an annual licence costing two guineas (around £300 in today's money).

The intention of the act was to promote the return of a more supervised system of alcohol consumption and encourage people to drink beer, instead of strong spirits, by increasing competition and lowering prices.

[6] It resulted in the opening of tens of thousands of new public houses and breweries throughout the country, particularly in the rapidly expanding industrial centres of the north of England, and the price of beer halved by 1838.

[7][a] According to the act, Parliament considered it was "expedient, for better supplying the Public with Beer in England [and] to give greater facilities for the Sale thereof than are at present afforded by Licenses to Keepers of Inns, Alehouses and Victualling Houses.