The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-28 00:00:00

SPIRIT LICENSES.

Mr. LAW SON nee "to call attention to the general dis-
satisfaction existing throughout the country regarding the
laws for licensing houses for the sole of spirituous and fer-
mented liquors, and to the necessity for the immediate re-
vision thereof ; also to the expediency and pieties of per-
mitting the inhabitants of any parish or place to decide whe-
ther the common sale of such liquors should be carried on
within the locality.* Seeing that the legislature did not
take any steps to prevent this great evil, a plan bad
been suggested which bad takes a great bold on the
public mind. It was to have a permissive law
enabling any town er district, by a majority of two-
thirds to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquor,. Now
he held two things, first, that the plan he bed suggested of
entirely prohibiting the sale of liquors in any distnct would
be effectual ; and secondly, that it wss just. With regard
to the first point, they found that crime arid pauperism
existed in any district almost in proportion to the facility of
obtaining istoxicatiug liquors. But they had illustrations
of the opposite state of Wisp. Mr. James Gray, chairman

of the Edinburgh parochial board, rid at the Town Council
on the Z.3rd of October, DMA " There are 34 parishes in Scot-
land without • public-house, and the effect upon the
parishioners is that they have sot • peony of poor
rates in cos of them." He said that he once
lived eight years in a perish when there wee no
publie.horsee, and during all that period he never
sew • person the worse for drink. There were no poor's
rates in the perish then ; but now there were five public-
housee and a poor rate of la. Bd. in the pound. Then the
report of the general uaembly of the church of Scotland by
their committee for the suppression of inteinperanoe, dated
31st May, 1849, stated that " the returns made to your can-
mittee's inquiries clearly prove that the intemperance of any
neighbourhood is clearly proportiooed to the number of its
spirit bowies, so that where than are no public-houses nor
any shops for selling spiriki there reams to be any intoxica-
tion." Then it was said that such a law would be en in-
imovenience to many people. Why, of course, if it
were not Ito they would not want a law. All the people
asked, and all he asked for them, was the power to protect
themselves from the evils of intoxicating Ronan. It might
be said that this was. • crotchet, but it was a crotchet
shared in by 200,000 people. Free. Glasgow there bad
been • petition signed by 27,000 pawns in its favour, and
from loneasigre one signed by 20,000. He believed that
such a law would be of inestimable value to the 000ntry.

Mr. HER BEY HER said if the public voiee were so
strongly in favour of this restriction as it was mid to be, the
Howie of Commoos would not long be deaf to their opinion.
He was for free trade in liquors in the sense in which he
understood it, and he was for restraining magisterial control
in a matter which the magistrates could out properly attend
to. (Hear, bear.) Under the present system, in some
plains where &license was applied for, the licensed victuallers
employed a solicitor to show the beech that an increase in
their number would be prejudicial to the morals of
the place ; therefore it might be argued that if 101
public houses would be injurious, so WWII 100,
and if 100, so were 99, and so on. The boo.
gentleman had referred to the number of petitions
which had been presented, but everybody knew how pe-
titions were got up for presentation to that house. Some
years ago they heard of a petition being presented in favour
of the charter, and signed by one million of persons, but
the house now heard very little of the charter. (Hew.)
The fact was, if the liaise Liquor Law men believed that
their bill was likely to be passed into a law their meetings
would not be so unanimous in the expression of public
opinion as now alleged to be. He contended that in such a
ease as this the majority bad no right to dictate to the
minority. Let the house picture to themselves • rich town
I councillor, with a cellar full of flue old crusted port, elides-
' vouring to prevent, by a strict law, his poorerfellow townsmen
from purchasing a ghats of beer. (Hear, hear.) He believed
that if there were the slightest chance of such a measure, as
desired by the Maine Liquor Law men, passing, • storm of
agitation would arse throughout the country such as never
had been known before. The seas was not so extreme as to
justify legislation. The Maine Liquor Law men called
everything in the shape of beer slow poison, but it bad
very little injurious effect on the great majority of those
who drank it. (Hear, hear.) The fact was that most men
like themselves indulged moderately in beer. If it were
intended to earry the Maine Liquor Bill, the promoters must
resort to universal suffrage—manhood suffrage would sot do
—for what right would • man of 21 have to dic-
tate to • young mu of 20 years of age' (Hear, bear.)
He could not help thinking that the Maine liquormen were
despotic in their mode of legislation, for their bill provides
that a drunkard should state when he became sober where
he got drunk; and if he did not do so: he might be impri-
soned for any length of time at the pleasure of the magi'.
trate. (Hear, hear.) As there was no motion before the
home, be would not trespass upon their time further ; but
he thought the Maine liquonnee should make use of all
other mesas—the press, the pulpit, and the platform—to
obtain their ends, and in that be wished them God speed;
but he would not be one to deprive the poor man of his
glass of beer. (Cheers.)

Mr. WHALLEY said the proposal was to modify the
system of liquor licensing whiok had been in existence
for a long period, and the hon. gentleman kin:wall admitted
that it might be improved. But the hon. gentleman, with
hie great influence and ability, had been trifling with the
subject. There could be no doubt that one of the greatest
evils of the day was the facility afforded for obtaining in-
toxicating thinks by the humbler classes of society. It was
the mum of nearly all the misery which existed in this
country. (Hear, hear.) The declaim of the question
should be left to drunkards themselves, who were tempted
b the present system to do that which destroyed their
, and deprived their families of comfort, and who,
he believed, would earnestly desire to be relieved from the
temptations of the beer and liquor shops.

Sir (I. GREY said as no motion was before the house, sod
as no practical decision could be arrived at upon the ques•
tics, he would only trouble them with a few observations.
To • certain degree he sympathised with those whom the
hon. member for Carlisle represented, in their efforts to
correct the evils of drunkenness, which produced so much
crime and misery, but he thought they were mistaken in the
remedy they advocated. He also agreed with there that
the licensing system had many defocus, and he concurred
in the recommendation of the committee that it required
an extensive change. There were, however, great difficul-
ties in dealing with the question, owing to the extensive
and varied interests involved, and he should he happy, if at
any future time be should be able to submit • bail to the
house on the subject, but he could bold out ao hope that
such a measure would embody the opinions of those who
wished to establish the Maine liquor law in this country.
(Hear, hear.) He believed it would be modem! to make
that attempt, because it they legislated in opposition to the
views and habits of the great majority of the people, it
would be impossible to practically enforce the law.- (Hear.)
The subject then dropped.
SEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT IN INDIA.

Mr. GRANT DUFF celled attention to the expediency
of tranderring the mat of government in India to some
place more eligible than Calcutta, and moved for certain re-
turns on the subject.
Mr. BARING said they all must regret the risks to which
persons were subjected in the service of their country in
India in consequence of the unhealthiness of the climate ;
but Calcutta was not the most unhealthy part of the em-
pire, and there were grave difficulties to be encountered in
the removal of a great capital. Be contended that no clue
had been made out for the change of the capital of
India from Calcutta to Bombay or to Poomsh, and
they had the opinion of Lord Headings is fa-
vour of maintaining the mat of government in
ita present position, upon the grounds, almost prophetic
Is their expression, that at Calcutta it was safe against
'Meek, that it was situated in the midst of a peaceful popu-
lation, and it that was a spot where perfect security was
afforded of communication at all times with this country.
Lord Canning was kept unfortunately very much at the seat
al government, but the recent changes would enable the
Governor-General in peaceful times to visit other parts of
the country, and would give him the advantage not only of
soolloing his residence at Calcutta to the most healthy
masons, but of an acquaintance with the interior of the
country.