The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-09 00:00:00

LORD ABERDARE on INTEMPERANCE.

Lord Aberdare presided on Monday at a Conference held
in connexion with the Oxford Diocesan Branch of the Church
of England Temperance Society, in the Sheldonian Theatre.
There was a very large attendance, including the Bishop of
the diocese, Lord Cottesloe, and Archdeacons Palmer, Pott,
and Cast.

In his opening address Lord Aberdare said they
had 'on record the opinions of most experienced
physicians that the general estimate of what con-
stituted moderation in drink was extremely false
and dangerous, and led unconsciously to premature
injury of the constitution and the decay of vital
strength. They knew that a great number of persons
had been moved to take the pledge of total absti-
nence, that Bands of Hope had been formed all over
the country, and that most eloquent voices had been
raised in every town, showing the evils of intemper-
ance and the advantages of temperance. Yet, in spite
of all, they had to ?make the melancholy admission
that, on the whole, during the last ten years, intoxica-
tion had rather increased than deereased. It was true
that might be partly due to exceptional causes, one of
which was the immense prosperity which prevailed
from 1869 to 1873, 1874, and in subsequent years.
Habits of indulgence once formed were not very easily
dropped. On the other hand they had it on record
that the quantity of spirits, wine, and beer consumed
was infinitely greater than ten years ago. It was per-
fectly true that a very considerable portion of the
increase might be due to the larger spending
powers of the working classes. The number of
apprehensions for drunkenness throughout the country
showed a most melancholy increase. In spite of bene-
ficial Acts of Parliament, and in spite of steps taken
by a large portion of the best of the community,
no successful effort has hitherto been made to
diminish this which was perhaps the greatest na-
tional vice slid curse. Well, what was the cause?
Was it that their efforts had been misdirected, or that
they had been striving to attain to something of unat-
tainable excellence, or that they had been going against
the opinions of many of the best and wisest friends
of temperance in this country, and so divided and
weakened public opinion These were questions
they were bound to ask themselves. Could nothing
be done in the way of legislation? He was talking of
the House of Commons as it now was, and was likely
to be for the next twenty years. Had they any hope
of carrying such a measure which would have the
effect of largely suppressing excessive indulgence in
drink? His own opinion was, they had not. They
might improve the laws. The inquiry by the House
of Lords' Committee showed that there were many weak
points, many gaps that ought to be and could be stopped.
But after all he was bound to say that they only touched
the very fringe of the question, and left still an enor-
mous amount of evil without a remedy. There was one
remedy which had been suggested, and personally he
should like to see a trial given to it; and that was the
scheme that was often called the Gothenburg scheme,
which was introduced by Mr. Chamberlain. He would
not at once enforce the adoption of such a law through-
out the country, but he would like to see one borough
which was public, spirited enough to give it a trial,
and it might be productive of very great good. In
conclnsion, Lord Aberdare strongly advocated the
encouragement of the study of music and the esta-
blishment of working men's clubs and coffee taverns.
Addresses were then delivered as follows :—By
Lord Cottesloe, setting forth that the excessive in-
dulgence by the people of this country in strong
drinks, as shown by the evidence before the House of
Lords' Committee on Intemperance, is such as to
retard the progress and ultimately imperil the safety
of the nation; by Canon Ellison, contending that, as
a step towards the correction of the evil, the licensing,
system of the country requires revising; and by Pro-
fessor Rolleston, that the grocers' and shopkeepers'
licensing Acts, as leading to a great increase of
female intemperance, have become full of danger to
the country.
A large public meeting, at which the Bishop of
Oxford presided, was afterwards held in the Corn Ex-
change.