The Press.
London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

It was a strange but most suggestive sight, to stand at
the top of the grand escalier, and, by the illumination of
a thousand wax lights, to watch the dark, dingy-looking
column as, impeded by its own numbers, it slowly
ascended and streamed unobstructed through the gilded
saloons. There were huge bearded men in the genuine
sheepskins of the steppes ; others were in the rusty mo-
notonous costume of the town, their great boots splashed
with the mud through which they had waded to the ball,
and the universal mujik hat, which looks like a brand
upon their heads.—lb.
The mujik appears to be a most undemonstrative
fellow:—

As they shuffled along over the parqueterie floors they
displayed as much coolness and nonchalance as if they
were American Indians, or high-bred English gentlemen.
This nil admirari deportment of the Russian peasant is a
thing that strikes the inquiring stranger as much as any-
thing else he sees in this country of wonders and contra-
diction. Except in such cases as the " festin," where there
ate whole sheep to be torn limb from limb, roast chickens
to be pocketed, or pails of beer to be swilled, he " assists "
at the most magnificent entertainment with a stoical
apathy that shows his organ of wonder to be very slightly
developed, or at all events to be under the most efficient
control. In the gilded halls of the Kremlin yesterday
evening, he neither turned to the right or left, nor looked
upwalds or downwards, as he marched slowly from the
salle blanche to the hall of St. Andrew, penetrated the
imperial bed-chamber of Catherine, or plunged into the
gloomy vaulted rooms of the Terema. And his faithful
wife faithfully imitated her liege lord's well-simulated com-
posure. With a handkerchief tied over her head and her
nondescript dress swelling out in bundles like the sails
of a ship or the badly compressed stomach of a deputy-
lieutenant, she trudged along with the calm dignity of a
judge, and took all the magnificence that surrounded her
as calmly as if " to the manner born."—lb.

At the buffets, however, he exhibited signs of
vitality :

There, indeed, you might see the " black people"
" lashing themselves like a surge " against the tables, and
bewildering the impel ial servants in their vociferous
demands for refreshment. Vassili supped " Tschai " with
a spoon of silver gilt, out of Dresden cups worth five
guineas apiece. and Katrine munched by the dozen peaches
every one of which had cost a rouble. Champagne was the
favorite beverage, but even hdmble beer was not disdained,
and the tables would soon have been as bare as the tables
of the " festin," but for the assiduous care with which
they were constantly replenished by the imperial lacqueys.

The Emperor made his appearance about nine
p.m., and plunged at once into the centre of the
crowd of people, alone with the Empress and Empress
Mother. This remarkable confidence in his people
seems a peculiar trait of the Itomanoffs. There was
of course no dancing, but Ivan and his wife were
quite satisfied with the champagne and supper.

LORD STANLEY AND THE TEMPERANCE
MOVEMENT.

Lord) STANLEY, M.P., was lately applied to by the
secretary of the United Kingdom Alliance, a
society formed for the suppression of the liquor
traffic, to honour a meeting at Manchester on the
22nd inst. His lordship returned a reply, in which
the following forms the principal passage :

I draw a wide distinction between the voluntary tem-
perance movement, and that which seeks to attain its end
by legislative intervention. Of the first I entirely ap-
prove ; the second, I regret to say, I cannot support. I
have drawn out a statement of my reasons for not
supporting the alliance, which I inclose. If you choose to
give it publicity, Ido not object. My wish is to point out
the objections which occur most forcibly to my own mind,
so that if they can be met you may be prepared to meet
them.
The reasons Lord Stanley gave were eight:

REASONS AGAINST ATTEMPTING THE TOTAL SUPPRESSION
OF THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
_ _

1. Because the law-making power in England, being
practically in the hands of the wealthy, while the intem-
perate clue is, generally speaking, the lowest in the scale,
the proposed prohibition would be a cutting off by one
class of the (supposed) enjoyments of another—a measure
to which the kw makers will not venture, in prudence, to
resort; and which, if resorted to, would be regarded by
those whom it affected as partial and unjust.
This objection applies less to the case of the United
States, although even there complaint is made that the
rich, who can afford to buy liquor wholesale, are vir-
tually exempt from the law which enforces abstinence on
the poor.

2. Because while the desire of drink is so strong as to
lead to an annual consumption of from 50,000,0001. to
70,000,0001. sterling in liquor, the proposed prohibition, if
carried, would be evaded by smuggling to an enormous ex-
tent ; with, probably, the connivance of many magistrates
M.P.'s, and others who would regard the law as imprac,
ticable and absurd, and would, therefore, not exert
themselves to see it enforced. Hence a double evil—(a)
disregard of, and contempt for, law; and (b) less of that
practical control which is now exercised over places where
drink is sold ; the trade falling into more disreputable
hands, and a criminal class being artificially produced.
3. Because in the present lamentable condition of the
labouring class as a body, the labourer has, especially in rural
districts, no amusement or recreation whatever, nor any
place of social meeting aunt the public•house. This state

SATURDAY,

of things is not sought to be defended, nor even palliated,
but it exists, and before cloning publio-houses some better
substitute should be provided.
_

4. Because the suppression of the liquor traffic—assuming
it possible—would cause a loss of 20,000,0001. of revenue
yearly ; and, though it is admitted that the social aspect of
this question is more important than the fiscal, yet it must
be considered that so large a deficit can only be made up
by the imposition of direct taxes to a vast amount ; the dis-
content produced by which must be added to that arising
directly out of a restriction so stringent, and which would
be severely felt by so many. This is no argument against
gradual diminution of the traffic, but a strong argument
against total and violent suppn salon.
5. Because a habit of self-control acquired by the indi-
vidual is, in every respect, a better protection than an arbi-
trary enactment. In those communities of primitive pox-
* where no access has ever been had to intoxicating
drink, it is found that the desire for it, when casually
introduced, becomes au irrepressible passion ; and entire
tribes have been, and are being, swept off in consequence
~f yielding to this passion. Prohibition augments desire,
and the absence of temptation cannot confer moral
strength.
6. Because difficulty will arise, if it is meant to be con-
sistent, in defining intoxicating substances. Is tobacco to
be included? Is opium? Where the craving for stimu-
lants is strong, these or similar compounds will be sub-
stituted for alcoholic liquors. Chemical science will be
employed to discover or produce them at small cost.
You will only have replaced one form of intoxication by
another. Suppose these two prohibited—a measure which
will greatly increase the amount of opposition to be
reckoned upon—new means of intoxication can and will
be found, calling for new and further extension of the law.
7. Because the suppression of traffic in liquor can never
suffice, it has been found in America, to put a stop to its
habitual use. Apart from actual smuggling, alluded to
before, the law may be evaded in many ways. E. g., it
would probably become the practice for labourers to
stipulate for a certain quantity of liquor to be given them
in addition to their wages, an abuse which employers
are doing their best to put down, but which prohibition of
the liquor traffic would render general. Pretended exhi-
bitions would be got up, as was done in the States, where,
after paying for admission, the visitor would receive his
share of the liquor gratis. Drinking clubs would be
established on the same principle. You can't stop such
frauds, unless you declare the possession as well as the
sale of liquor illegal, by which enactment every man's
house becomes liable to search, and the capital actually
invested in private stores of wine and spirits, ct.c., ii
destroyed.

b. liccause the exertions on temperance societies on the
voluntary principle are impeded, and odium is excited
against them, by every attempt at forcible suppression of
the traffic. To offer to employ physical or material force
is in itself a confession that moral force is inadequate for
the object proposed.

Mn. POPE, the secretary of the association, replies
and contests Lord Stanley's reasons. He asserts-
1. That the alliance desires to obtain, not a cla.sc,
but a purely democratic law, demanded by the people
themselves.

2. That the desire for drink grew by indulgence,
and that the law would be absolute, not partial, so
that evasion would be easily detected.

3. That because the peasantry had little amuse-
ment, it did not necessarily follow that what they bad
should be poisoned by drink.
_ .

4. That the revenue would gain, not suffer, by
the change, as the millions withdrawn from the pur-
chase of spirit would be transferred to productive
instead of unproductive industry.
5,6, 7, and 8. That to enable the people to gain
the habit of self-control, we must train them by
restrictive laws ; that the use of opium and tobacco
would cease with that of spirits; that the extent of
evasion of the Maine Liquor Law in America is
exaggerated; and, lastly, that experience did not
prove that injury was suffered by temperance soeieties
by the exertions of the alliance.

OCTOBER 4, 1856.