The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-28 00:00:00

TEMPERANCE IN BUSSIA.

The Polish journal TViadomosci Polski publishes
the following Russian order to the Bishop of
Samogitia, to restrain the efforts of the Polish
clergy:from spreading temperance among the pea-
santry :--

Wilno, June 2, 1860 (No. 3,671.)
The Minister of the Treasury has informed tue,
in his despatch of the 16th ult., that news had
reached him that your excellency had taken most
severe measures to compel the people to pledge
themselves by oath to abstain from strong drinks.
On the 19th March last you sent a circular to all
the clergy in your district, directing them to re-
quire their parishioners to write their names in a.
list of those who pledged themselves to abstain
from drunkenness, in a book which they were to
prepare for that purpose, and such as were parents
or guardians to add to their own names those of
their children or wards ; and to see that all those
whose names were included in such list renewed
their promise of temperance till death before the
image of the virgin.
Observing that the reason of the diminution of

the sum raged by taxes on spirits in the Govern-
ment of Kowno was the great speed of abstinence,
and desiring to convince myself that such was the
fact, I had requested your excellency, in my des-
patch of the sth March, No. 1,528, to furnish me
with a list of the persons who had abstained from
drunkenness in the Government of Kowno, accord-
ing to the annexed form. That form shows that
the numbers only of those parishes about which
information had already been obtained were re-
quired ; but I by no means gave my sanction to
the collection of more signatures, the introduction
of books to receive them, and of societies whose
establishment was not sanctioned by Government.
In your answer, dated 12th March, No. 575,
your excellency informed me that you had made
application for the details required, not mentioning
the new arrangements which were afterwards pro-
mulgated in the rirpulAr of the 10th March above
alluded to.

To enlarge upon the benefits of temperance, and
raise a warning voice against drunkenness, is use-
ful, and conducive to th morality of the nation ;
but the recommending total abstinence from strong
drink, and that by means so strongly calculated to
impress the minds of the lower class, such as oaths,
promises of absolution of sins, &c., cannot be en-
dured, as being opposed to the general conviction
of the benefits arising from the moderate use of
strong liquors, to the system of the Roman Catho-
lic ecclesiastical establishment in Russia, and my
receipts of 1858 and 1859, and to the views of the
Government, who have carried out the taxes on
spirits.
It will be sufficient if the clergy, without forbid-
ding the peasants to us.e spirits in moderation,
would dissuade them from drunkenness, or the ex-
cessive use of strong liquors. In this way alone is
it possible to conciliate the views of the Govern-
ment, having for their object the recovery of the
sums raised by the taxes on spirits, with the idea
of restraining the peoplo from indulging in the sin-
ful passion of drunkenness. I have, therefore,
agreeably to the request of the minister of the
Treasury, the honour to beg your Excellency to
recall the orders contained in the Circular of the
19th March, and put a stop to any improper acts
on the part of the clergy ; also, that you will
direct them not to make use of any threats, orTi
other means, not sanctioned by Government, in
dissuading their parishioners from drunken
.
hasca permitted,
"Y itted
and other sins ; and, confining themselvesuts°'ofi_
struaion, not to forbid the moderate
,
drinks, which our Saviour himself
in changing the water into wine
at
talso to direct
our Excellency will not fail
sent them
your parishioners to return the
,
in order that such may be d books
destroyed ; and in
general to make the acts
r
°f your clergy con-
ei
formable to lawful order and
c.
(Signed) the duties of their
religious calling .—I
NAZI have,
lON, Civil Governor.