The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-25 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF MAN CHESTER ON
SMOKI N G.

• The Bishop of Manchester, having been invited to attend
a mretiog on the subject of juvenili smoking, has written
as follows :

Bishop's Court, Manchester, January 14,. 1379.

Sir,—l am unable to attend the meeting which it is
proposed to hold for the purpose of endeavouring to
diminish the habit of tobacco smoking among young
boys. It is an evil, and it seems to me a growing one,
which I have often observed and deplored. Whatever
may be thought of the habit of smoking generally, I
believe tbat medical authorit es are universally agreed
that it is physically most mischievous to young people
under the age of eighteen. The morel effects conse-
quent on the too frequent association of this
habit with others of a pernicious tendency are
not less hurtful to the character. It has often been a
matter both of surprise and regret to me that parents
seem so ind:fferent to both these classes of oonsoquences
to their son.; and though I have no practical remedy
to suggest for what I regard as a great and increasing
social evil, 'I hope the meeting which you are going to
hold will help to fix publie attention both on its pro-
portions and its effect.. It WM stated in a leading
article in The Tfhttes a short time age that so sensible
is the German Government of the mischief wrought
by the habit on the constitution of growing lals, that
in many towns the police forbid boys under sixteen to
smoke in the streets, and that the offenders against
this regulation are punished by fines, or, in default of
payment, even by imprisonment.—l remain, Sir,
yours faithfully, J. MANCILISTEB.

THE CITY OF GLASGOW BANK AID-

LIQUIDATION_ SCHEME.

A Inciting of the supporters of the City of Glasgow Bank
Aid-Liquidation &hems was held in Glasgow on Saturday,
when the reply received -by Sir Robert Napier from the
Crown agent was under consideration. The letter is as
follows
"Crown Office, Milbank, Jan. 15.
"Sir,—l have to acknowledge receipt of your letter
of the 14th current, enclosing a prospectus of the
City of Glasgow Bank aid-liquidati in scheme for the
consideration of the Lord Advocate. The Lord
Advocate desires me to inform you that he has gone
carefully over the prospectus, and it appears to him
that while its terms do not 'per se' amount to a
contravention of the statutes regarding lotteries,
they are not necessarily inconsistent with the ulti-
mate violatio,n of the law, in the course of carrying out
the scheme. If it be the fact that what are therein
des aibed as bonuses for distribution' are truly prizes
to be awarded by chance or lot to certain lucky ticket-
holders, while other ticket-holders draw blanks, as is
stateit in the public prints, his lordship conceives that
it aill be very diffisulr, to draw any substantial dis-
tinction between the scheme and a common lottery.
Accordingly, it would have been more satisfactory to
• have received the assurance that it was not intended
to make the distribution of the bonuses a matter of
chance orhazard in anyehape than to be informed merely
that the statements appearing in the public Press upon
the subject are unauthorised. You do not say that the
statements of the Press are untrue, or even allege that
the cautiously-worded terms of the prospectus weris
not intended to produce in the mind of the public the
impression which. s embodied in these statements.
The Lord Advocate desires me to explain that in
prosecutions under the lottery statutes be does not act
In the capacity of public prosecutor, whose functions
are properly confined to matters criminal and to the
Criminal Court. These prosecutions are conducted in
the Court of Exchequer at his instance as an officer
of the Crown and for behoof of the public revenue,
ard he holds that his action in such cases is therefore
subject to the control of the Treasury. In the
absence of such control the statutes leave him no
alternative but to take proceedings when their pro-
visions appear plainly to have been violated.
"I am, &c.,
"JAMES AULDJO JAMIRSON, CrOWII Agent."

The meeting resolved to con-ider the position of
matters e. a general meeting of the acting committee.
Dr. Anderson Kirkwood, the Dean of the Faculty
'of Procurators in Glasgow, who was one of the pro-
moters of the scheme, in a letter explaining the matter,
says :

' • We did not disguise from ourselves that the scheme
would be challenged as partaking of the nature of a
lottery; but, although as sensible as others of the
danger of hahitual lotteries, we thought the counter
advantages so gteat as in this instance to over-
balance the evil. It it goes on, we trust it will
accomplish our object without being attended by
any of the consequences so much deprecated. But
if from any (muse our scheme does not succeed, we
have so much at heart the relief of the bank share-
holders and their families that we will cheerfully join
in giving our best exertions to any other more accept-
able scheme which can be devised for the attainment of
the same result. It is right to add that whatever merit
the scheme has belongs, not to me, but to a young
merchant in Glasgow of marked commercial ability.
All that I did was to put it into shape and commend it
to the favourable consideration of others."

At a special meeting of the Free Church Presbytery of
Edinburgh, held on Monday, the foll9wing reaolut-on re-
garding the proposed lottery was unanimously adopted on
the motion ot the Rev Priumpal Rainy :

"The Presbytery have had their attention drawn
to the project of a lottery on a great scale in aid of
the omen holders of the City of Glasgow Bank. They
find themselves constrained to protest against any such
project, and earnestly warn their faithful people on the
subject. The institution of a lottery would be an invi-
tation to the community to engage in appeals to chance,
and to aim at gain by gambling, the invitation being
backed by tempting money prizes and carried out by an
en i rgetic appeal to the whole nation, and all this in de
fiance or in evasion of the existing law, which law em.
bodies the deliberate judgment of the nation, and its
rules founded on a prolonged experience of the per-
nicious effects of every form of lottery. Any such
scheme the Presbytery can regard only aim direct pro-
posal to do evil that good may come. They regard it
as certain to produce extensive mis3hlef both by the
operation of the scheme itself and by opening the way
to more schemes of the same kind. They regard it
also as involving a repudiation of the very lessons
which existing calamities, considered as Divine chasten.
logs, ought to enforce. Surely this warns us against
indulging the feverish desire to be suddenly rich, and
against embarking for that end in gambling ventures,
and admonishes us to cherish sobriety of mind,
dependence on God, and adheronce to the methods of
honest industry, in which this blessing may be ex-
pected. But while on these grounds the Presbytery
seriously and affectionately exhort their people to
take no part in such schemes, they do at the same time
record their deep sense of the greatness of the cala-
mity in which the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank
has involved so many worthy persons, and ot tee
anxiety and distress to which they are now subjected.
The Preebytery, well assured that the prayerful
sympathy of many Christians is extended to the
sufferers, would especially remin I them that
sucti sympathy ought to he practical PO efficient.
they rejoice in the %Dili guess to heip already largely
securt d, but tin y would earnestly call upoo their
people to consider whether on the part of many of
them much more dos not yet remain to be done.
The Pre- b 3 tery express their earliest hope that all
will cordially consider in what way, by united and
universal aition, assistance proportionate to the
calamity can be rendered. Finaliy, the Presbytery,
earnestly desiring to give any help in their power,
appoint a committee to consider and report on any
proposal which may be made with a view to give effec-
tive aid to the shareholders in reference to which the
co-operation of the Presbytery may be desired." •

A meeting was held in Glasgow on Tuesday, pre-
sided ever by Sir James Watson, when it was
resolved that, on account of the action of the Govern-
ment and the oppositit-n of large sections of the
community, it was deemed inexpedient to press
the lottery scheme for the aid of the share-
holders of .the City of Glasgow Bank further, so as
to make way for a scheme which would probably
meet with universal support. Dr. Kirkwood, Sir
William Cueinghame, M.P., Sir James Fergusson,
and others exprem.e I their regret at the course neces•
sitated by the current of events, but reiterated their
opinion that the scheme was justifiable under the cir-
cumstances. A scheme was mooted for buying up the
debts as well as the assets of the bank at 15s. per
pound.