The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-20 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

the consumption of liquor (the speaker did not say
during what period). Sir G. Campbell and Lord
Northbrook did what they could now to arrest the
evil, and he trusted they would be successful. It was
chiefly among the higher classes that indulgence in
drink prevailed. The strong constitutions of English-
men and their cold climate enabled them to resist the
effects of drink, but the frames of his brethren and
their hot sun would render drunkenness an irresistible
poison. Where a traditional abstemiousness prevailed,
as in India. a Perniissive Bill might easily be intro-
duced, and he wondered it had not been introduced
long ago. If the Alliance could mance the
Government to take part against this vice they would
confer a benefit, not on themselves alone, but on his
unfortunate countrymen, and, perhaps, on many
other nations and countries wide apart.
Mr. A. M. Svllivan, M.P., moved the second resolu-
tion :
" That the great and gratifying success which has at-
tended Prohibitory legislation, whether of a general or per-
niissive character, in America and elsewhere, is ample en-
couragement to a persistent and more vigorous agitation in
favour of the Permissive Bill, until, by the blessing of God,
it becomes the law of the land "

He said that, like the last speaker, he came from a
subject people. He too had a Permissive Bill, and it
lay in wait next Wednesday behind Sir W. Lawson's,
so that honourable members might be caught between
the horns of a dilemma. If the Irish members had
their way they would have had the Permissive Bill
years ago, for they went into the lobby two to one in
favour of Sir Wilfrid Lawson. In one county in the
north of Ireland there has been for 14 years a district
of 64 square miles without a public-house, and for 11
years in that locality there has not been a member of
the Reyal Ida' Constabulary to be seen. It is sup-
posed that the normal practice of the Irishman is to
flourish a shillelagh and break a head. But whiskey
being away, so little riot or want is there that in that
district not only are policemen not required, but the
rates have fallen from 2s. Id. to 101. and 11d, in the
pound.

The resolution was seconded by the Iron. C. K.
Landis, if Vineland, in the United States of America,
who recounted that in Vineland, a colony of 13,600
persons established twelve years ago by himself on fifty
square miles of virgin soil, a yearly vote was taken
whether the inhabitants should allow liquor-shops to
be opened, or confine themselves (as he put it, he said,
to carry the vote more easily) to drinking at home;
and as a matter of business-like precaution, the vote
was always in favour of excluding dram-shops. The
police-rate was OD an average about £l3 a year, and
there were no pan.; but the expense of maintaining
those who migrated from other townships was from 1:70
to £430 a year.
Mr. Pope, Q.C., proposed the third resolution

. . ----- ----- .
That the members of the House of Commons be respec-
tively and urgently requested to vote on Wednesday next
for the SCCOMI reading of the Permissive Prohibitory Liquor
Bill as all Act in harmony with the Constitutional principles
and social justice, and one which cannot be refused without
fixing upon Parliament the reef ..... !Malty of perpetuating,
by its own decisbni, the licensed causes of national intem-
perance, Is ith all its calamitous effects on the physical,
moral, social, and religious condition of the British people,"
awl, speaking as a Liberal, congratulated his party
that they would no longer have to choose a candidate
who WAS acceptable to the publicans, while, on the
other hand, the alliance of that interest with the I 'on-
servatives must be severed before Conservatism had a
future. As be understood the question, it was
whether the magistrates, who might or might not
know the locality, or the people themselves should
decide whether or not pubhchouses should be opened.
In aeconding the resolution, Mr. D. Davies, M.P.,
told the meeting that he had been a total abstainer for
38 yeas. As a result, he WM a good shot, and had
opened collieries in Wales capable of producing in
eight years 600,000 or even 1,1800,000 tons of coal per
annum. He concluded amid signs of impatience.
Mr. Roper, in supporting the resolution, reviewed
the Parliamentary strength of the Alliance. He
regretted the absence of Professor Smyth, M.P., whom
an Irish education vote detained at Westminster, and
of Mr. Burt, M.P., who had been smnmoned to New-
castle. As it was, however, Sir W. Lawson had been fol-
lowed that night by a Scotch new member, an Irish new
member, a WeLsh new member, to show that, after all,
they were not crushed at the last election. Mr I tickson,
of Dungannon, another new member who would sup-
port the lull, was present, and though a metropolitan
member had theother day thanked God that a number of
the advocates of the Permissive Bill were absent from
the new Parliament, Ile was happy to say they stood
as high as they did before. Dr. Cameron, of Glasgow,
represented the greatest number of electors in any
Scottish constituency, and Sir W. Lawson 's Bill was
backed by as good names as any of the 140 bills which
lay on the table lif the House f Commons. Sir
Barley, Mr. Richards, and Mr. M'Carthy-Downing
represented great constituences, and the place of
Lord Claud Hamilton had been taken by Mr. W.
Johnston.

Mr. Sanders and Dr. Mackenzie proposed the sdop-
tion of a petition to Parliament in favour of the Per-
missive Bill, and Mr. A. Brogden, M.P., moved a
vote of thanks to the chairman, whose services, he
said, are very highly appreciated in the city.
The Rev Dr. Burns, in seconding the vote, recalled
a perish in Sir T. Chambers's career when he was not
so well educated in this subject. He had, however,
taken the question into consideration, and norr they
had in Sir Thomas Chambers as good a friend of the
Permissive Bill as could be found.

Mr. Tabrum supported the resolution, and the
Connnon Serjeant, in briefly returning thanks, an-
nounced his intention of voting if he could (and not
pairing) on Wednesday, and u the assembly broke up.