The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-09 00:00:00

GEESE!

Once Cackle saved Rome's Capitol sublime,
Now vulgar cackle tends to revolotlon.
Trust we that Cackle will not, In some time.
LeAmy, not save, the British Constitution.
—Punch,

LICENCE REFORM.

Mr. John A. Bremner, Jermyn-street, St. James's,
London, has sent the following letter to The Times for
publication :•
The k.ause of licence reform or, In other words, that of
temperance —cannot fail to be advanced by the valuable arti-
cle which appeared hi The Time.; of this [Aug. 1:11 morning
on the meeting held last Tuesday under the presidency
of Lord Russell.

The non-success of the prometera of the meeting in their
attempt to carry their resolutions lon matter of ha-
portaisce. The mural, however, which the proceedings con-
vey have much value. The point of that mond Is best con-
veyed in your sian forcible language, when yi ai state in refer-
ence to the decision of the meeting that "a large majority re-
jeJted 1 policy of moderation proposed by the.chairnsan and
ton supporters, and carried an ammidnient proclaiming " War
to the knife." While such a decision may well be tab-u
as a note of warning to the members of the Liquor Trade
that their old enemy sleeps not. it should convince others
of the great need that exists for a party of moderation la
this Milt,. each party is 110.41e.1, n.,S io the interests of
nor from any feeling of tenderness towards the publicans or
the drunkards ; it is needed in the interests of tensperance,
which means the welfare of the country at large.
Now, Sir, how stands the matter at present? The intern-
Femme existieg in the country has reached such a pami that
every thinking man assist be of opinion that resneilial mea-
sures are a pamnionnt necessity. The evils arising from
cm:cash.° drinking meet inie SO palled ily at evef y sten tied a'
cry fort change cellos filo° daily growing numbers, and the
party of reform gathers strength. At the front of this army
of crusaders stand those earnest men who for years have
passionately denounced the liquor trade as the cause of in-
calculable burdens and misfortunes to the country, and have
vehemently demanded its total annihilation. Al! honour to
theirdevotion and consistent adherence to their one principle.
But, Sir, above the storm of human passion it Is well that
the "still email voice' of reason and 41f judgment should be
heard. If men of calmer temperarmnt, taking due note of
the impregnable nature of the stronghold to be attacked, and
calling to mind how much " blood and treasure " 1111113 for
can been sacrificed In vain attempts to take the citadel by
atom if such men advise a plan iif gradually reducing the
fortress they are not the leas anima 111 the cause, nor lesa
deeply touched by the misfortunes from which the country sot.
, fers. And here, Sir, permit me to express the opinion that the
menthol of the Vnited K ingslom Alliance seem to rise to have
I done a great end plod won kill having formed in the omotry a
strong mei influential opinion against the pernieh ins influence
of the licensing laws, and gathered milliners withio the fold of
temperance. Their principle of " total prohibition " cannot
fail to be more attractive to enthusiastic natures than a
policy of gradual redaction can hope to be. The snore
narrowly, however, the plan of '' gradually reducing the
stronghold" is considered, the more elrarly will it be seen
to he a Pleasure of true generalship ; the more will it com-
mend itself to all who approach the consideration of the
questims untrammelled by ally predetermined conclusions.
All all-powerful orpiment for gradual licence reform is for
niShed lii the consideration that, if the country is to wait an :
indeflnite period Mail public opinion Is ripe for " total pro-
hibition," the scourge of intemperance will meanwhile gin
with increasing severity. one dal qui rito dill is truly ap-
plicable In this case. The recent history of this question
shows that extrente demands for reform have met only wills
disammintment, but that moderate instalments have, " on
demand," always Imes conceded. The Wine and Beerhouse
Act of 10.2) and ISTO and the Licence Suspensory Act of
the Session just closed may be cited I. examples. The
value of the former Act is seen Irons the fact that in many
Mealities the magistrates were thereby enabled to make an
immediate reduction in the beeitionses indiscriminately
licensed by the Excise. In the city of Manchester the
number of such Minas fell from 2,220 in the year 1009 to
',tilt in the year IS7I, a diminntion of 20 per cent. its two
years', Moo. struck off and canaelled bong of the worst
class of houses. The License Suspensory Act arrived just
in tirne for the last Brewster Sessions, and arrested the
possible danger of imperil ons liew licenses heing granted.
These Valliable reforms. Sir, are the pork 4.1 men of mode-
rate aims, and are doing much to "gradually reduce the
stronghold."
What, then, should be the future course? If past ex-
perience be worth anything, the statesmanlike course is to
provide machinery for effecting yet further restriction. in
the think traffic. Any such plan should give promise of at
since mitigating the crying abuses of the present system, and
If such a plan be presented to the country it ja entitled to
gather round it not only moderate men of calm judicial mind

but should commend itself alike to ;if bodies and sections of
temperance reformers. No niatterif the ultinuttum of any
iparty be utter extinction of the tzatlic, these further steps of
restriction should be hailed as a means of checking existing
evils, and possibly of eventually drawing yet larger numbers
to the standard lif.• total prohibition."
It is Impossible in the limits of a letter to go into dettdl :
but it is evident from the experience if justices that much
progress in repressing Intemperance may yet be made with-
out touching the Ark of the liquor trade—namely, without
forcibly and by direct means diminishing the number of the
houses.

. This much desired reduction may be accomplished by other
less direct ansi less aggressive nieans. It is ascertained that
intemperance Is due Just as much to the manner hi which
publicans conduct their houses as to the excessive number
Of such houses. On these grounds the Bowe Seemtar3 was
urged last i;CYI1i011 to re-introduce his Licensing Amendment
Bill, stealing only wills such matters as 'mike regula-
tions, a further limitation Of the hours of sale, and the
infliction of penalties for adulteration. Any inessure of
suds a scope would certainty and speedily make an impres-
sion on the mass of intemperance. In evidence of this, to
refer only to one of these points, "early closing," in one
large centre of m potation in thu north of England the police
statistics show that three-fourths of the apprehensions for
drunkenness occur after nine o'clock p.m. lii sach places sus
Early Closing Act would at once materially reduce the in-
temperance, and, by removing the source of profit arising
from late hours from the lowest houses, would simply ex-
tinguish them. I have little doubt, sir, that the proportion of
houses annihilated by this indirect process would Mr surpass
the expectations of most people.
It may fairly be argued, also, as an additional ground for
suds a psdicy, that to a large extent the Members if the
liquor trade would smport such proposals in and out of Par-
liament, which, to speak frankly, would be XS a whole unity
on the side of reform. The intelligent members of the
trade can no longer conceal from themselves that the exist-
ing abuses and excesses are intolerable, and place the in-
terests of those engaged In the liquor traffic in considerable
danger.

The few points which I have ventured to indicate seem in
themselves to contain the germ of much valuable future
legislation, and may well form bases full which the friends of
temperance may unite nub a view to combined action.
thu.se who will listen only to an extermination of the drink
Ironic should recall the fact that no far reform in legislation
Is mainly Inc to moderato counsels. It shoold he remem-
bered also by all interested in the suppression of Intemper-
ance that the strength of the liquor interest, both in and out
of Parliament, is such that those who would wage successful
or acitimit its abuses can ill afford to play the 011010. a game
by disputing as to the mode and plan of the eintiputhoi.
crave the privilege in a future letter of saying a few
words on the magistrates as the licensing authority.