The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-03-06 00:00:00

OLD HILL.

"

THE SUNDAY LIQUOR TRAFFIC QUESTION
A public meeting (under the auspices of the
Central Association for Stopping the Sale of Intoxi-
cating Liquors on Sunday), was held in the Trinity
Sunday Schools Old Hill, on Wednesday last, Jeston
Homfray, Esq. occupied the chair.
Edward Whitwell, Esq., of Kendal, Honorary
Secretary, and Samuel Knell, Esq., of Birmingham
attended as a deputation.
The Chairman said he very much regretted that
Mr. Best and Mr. Bassein) could not be present that
evening. The meeting was a very small one but the
subject was one that perhaps in that place, had never
been raised, and was not altogether public and that
many of them that were there, would experience a
considerable difficulty after altogether giving their
affections up to the promotion of the society. The
difficulty was that while the iich men had cellars
of wine, and c.oulci go arid get it by turning a key
on a Sunday the poor man had no cellar. The rich
man could drink, but if the objects of the Society
were carried out the poor man could not drink. He
for his own part did not go so far as them. Ho did
not go to the total closing of every public-house in
the country. They had two objects in view and
these were to make the Lord's Day sacred and to
put down drunkenness. He believed that the sale
of beer ought to be permitted within the narrowest
possible limits on a Sunday. Last year they had a
meeting at Halesowen and before that meeting was
held the town was canvassed and three-fourths of
the publicans were in favour of closing their houses
on a Sunday. (hear, hear). And after thet meeting
there was a canvass made of every house in the town
The working people we e on their part in favour of
that bill. They had at the bottom of them a capital
feeling towards the Lo: d's Day and they say they.lo
not want to drink on the Lord's Day. They say
they want some to their meals and that was all they
eared about. lie hum I that the only objection on
the part of the publican, as in a way of feeling, that
no house ought to have an advantage to sell over
the o•lier. it one was closed the other ought to be
closed. The magnificient hotels of London stand,
in the eye of the law, on tl:e same footing as one of
the small houses they had there, under the same
peliee supervision, having the same license duty to
p:t.y. It w oeld be qu to possible to have a first-
cla4s house opened on Sundays, and a second and
third, and f r Which there ought ti be a special.
L:cense duty. lie thought that on the Lord's Day
the sale of beer ani light wines should be strictly
allowed only during mid-day meal and at supper
time, How could they be expected of doing any
injustice to the publicans when they themselves were
in favour of it. They felt that having their houses
open was a sign of tyranny as it did themselves and
their wivesiand childte n a great deal of moral and
spiritual harm. If publicans could have a day's rest
oa the Sunday there would be a better class of men
toga iutolthat business. In former times when news-
papers were very scarce, the clergymen of the parish
went to the public .house and had his glass with his
parishonets, and read to them the news; but now it
was quite the opposice, the people who ruled now
were not e lucated men at all, but some rude fellows
who did just the reverse, so that it was important
that they should get a better class of people, more
that the language should be better, and
really be n rational place of conversation. He
thought they would go as far as him in that reveet
a 4 to having it at meal times, and would be in favour
of closing the houses and drinking resort% on the
Sunday and reluce the trade of selling liquors within
these rational limits.
Mr. Edward Whitwell and Mr. Samuel Knell also
addressed the meeting and urged the necessity of
closing public-houses the whole of the Sunday.
Mr. E. Whitwell moved and Mr. James Raybould
seconded "That this meeting is of opinion that the
Sale:of Intoxicating Liquors on the Lord's Day is
productive of a large amount of drunkenness, pauper-
ism, and critneearnong the people, and inasmuch as
it is enacted that other trades shall not be pursued
on that day. It is both impolitic and unfair that
such sale should be sanctioned, as at present, by the
laws of the realm." The resolution was unanimously
carried.
Mr. S. Knell then moved "That this meeting ex-
presses its thankfulness to Almighty God for the
favourable: debate and division on the English
Suaday Closing Bill on tht 9th of July. That the
Act of 1878, closing public-houses in nine-tenths of
Ireland, during the whole of Sunday, is being fol-
lowed with great benefits, having reduced Sunday
drunkenness more than two-thirds, That Scotland
has for twenty-five years enjoyed the blessing of
similar legislation. That this meeting now cabs
upon the Members of Parliament for this Borough
and County to give their persistent support to a
measure which will bestow a similar boon on the
whole of England and Wales" "That the Chair-
man be authorised to forward a petition to the
House of Commons, an I that the following me-
morial be signed by the Chairman on behalf of
this meeting and forwarded to the Member for
Dudley and East Worcestershire. 'The memorial
or. a public meetime of the inhabitants of Old Hill,
in the Trinity Schools, on March Ist, 1880, aheweth
that your memorialists b.lieve that the sale of in
toxicating liquors on Sunday is a fruitful source of
Intemperance, domestic misery, pauperism, and
crime. That it is injurious to those who are Set.
gaged in the traffic, to their families and their
servants. That it is unjust to other trades, because
on the day following that on which the wages of
the country are usually paid, the liquor traffic has
the monopoly of the profit.from the expenditure of
their wages. That your memorialists believe that
stopping the sale of intoxicating liquors, except
in case el lodgers and bona fide travellers would be
productive of great benefits to this locality, and to
the country in general,land earnestly request you
to give your persistent support to a Bill for this
object."
Mr. William Westwood seconded the resolution
and it was carried unanimonsly.
Mr. Knell then moved " That the gentlemen
whose names appeared on the bills with power to
add to their number, be requested to be the Com-
mittee and Officers of the Old Auxiliary to the
Central Association for stopping the sale of Intoxi-
cating Liquors on Sunday; and that Mr. S. Bloomer
be requested to convene the Committee"
tlr. William Lloise seconded the resolution, and
it was carried.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the
proceedings.

DRUNKENNESS.—At the Police Court on W ed.
nesday, before Messrs. H. Howard, W. Bassaao and
B. Hingle,y, Benjamin Smith was charged with
being drunk and disorderly in the highway on the
29th ult. Police-constable Rowlands proved see-
ing the defendant in Brook Street, Old Hill, drunk
and using bad language. Defendant pleaded
guilty and a fine of 2s 6d and costs was imposed;
in default of payment 14 days.—Henry Tucker,
miner, of Old Hill, was charged with being drunk
and disorderly in the highway on the 53rd ult.
Police-constable Wickstead said that defendant
was very drunk and creating a disturbanoe in
Wagon Street, Old Hill. Defendant was fined
ss. and costs.