The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-03-20 00:00:00

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

The usual meeting of this Board was held
yesterday; Mr. Granger in the chair. There
were also present :—Messrs. Rolliuson, Baker,
Parkes, H. Billingharn, J. ,Billingham, Thomp-
son, Williams, Homer, Giles, Hall, Wood, Guest,
Rhodes, Fiddian, and Wright. Admitted into
the house 10 ; discharged 14; died ; born 0;
remaining, 30C; against 363 last year. King-
swinford district .{:23 us 10d: Stourbridge
district, .gl7 Os id ; Halesoweu district .tl7
19s 11d; nonresident paupers 11s Bd, total £5O
is 6d agaiust .£59 17s 2cl. The usual quarterly
contracts were entered into.

ALLIANCE MEETING AT THE CORN
EXCHANGE.

Under the auspices of the United Kingdom
Alliance, a public meeting was held on Monday
evening last. The Rev. Thomas Williams, 8.A.,
Vicar of St. John's, presiding. There was a fair
attendance, and the supporters Chairman included
General Neal Dow.

The Chairman said although he was not an Al-
liance man, he thought they were doing good
service in calling attention to the subject.
Mr. Gordon moved, and Mr. Riders seconded, a
motion to the effect that iu view of ihe appalling
prevalence of intemperance, and the crimes of
violence and brutality which judges, magistrates,
and all observant witnesses acknowledged to be
the result of drinking habits, fed and fostered by
the legailsed sale of intoxicating liquors, the meet-
ing called upon Parliament either to deal directly
with the cause of that evil or to enable people in
their own towns and parishes to prevent it.
The resolution was supported by General Neal
Dow, who called attention to the object of the
United Kingdom Alliance, their purpose being to
"shift away" from the country drunkenness,
ignorance, pauperism, and crime, arising from the
traffic in drink. Referring to M. George Dawson's
remarks, recently made, in which he described, as
the result of his own observations in 'America,
that the Maine Laws were a failure. General
Neal Dow said Mr. Dawson had made himself very
conspicuous in that matter. He was a preacher
.‘ up here somewhere," but he wondered what he
preached, Mr. Dawson had been in his country,
and now went about the country, and said that
the Maine liquor laws were a failure. Mr. Dawson
told his hearers that somewhere in the Maine law
city—he did not say where—he asked the land-
lord of the hotel where he was staying if he could
not get some grog or whisky? The landlord said
there was a grand grocer's shop at such a place,
and if he would go and whisper to the man he
would get what he wanted. Mr. Dawson went and
whispered; he received a ticket, was taken to a
back room—be believed to kiss Betsy—(laughter).
That story was told by Mr. Dawson to prove that
the Maine law was a failure. There was as much
logic and common sense as saying that the law
against stealing was a failure because Mr. Dawson
might hold up a watch and say that-he had stolen
it, in spite of the law. He went in a secret, un-
derhand way, and induced that poor wretch to
sell him some whisky, and then the Birmingham
preacher came and told his people that the law was
a failure. Had not George Dawson brains enough
to know that any law was a failure if looked at in
that way? If Mr. Dawson can come forward, and
say he had all statistics of drunkenness and crime
before the passing of the Maine Law and since,
and tell them that the aggregate, was as much
now as before, he might say the law was a failure
He denied the assertion made' by Mr. Dawson, and
said that tae principle of that law was constantly
spreading, and that if the nation did not soonput
the traffic down, the traffic would put this nation
down.

The resolution was carried, and, on the motion
of Mr. Robson, it was:decided to petition the
House of Commons in favour of the Alliance move-
ment.