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

TEMPERANCE IN _RUSSIA.

The Polish journal Wiadomosci 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 me,
in his despatch of the 16th ult., that news had
reached him that your excellency bad taken most
severe measures to compel the people to pledge
themselves by oath to abstain from strong drinks.
On the 19th March last You :.ent a circular to all
the clergy in your district, directing thein 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 raised by taxes on spirits in the Govern-
ment of Kowno was the great spread of abstinence,
and desiring to convince myself that such was the
fact, I had requested your excellency, in my des-
patch of the 6th 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 show 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 circular of the 19th March above
alluded to.

To enlarge upon the benefits of temperance, and
raise a warning voice against drunkenness, is use-
ful, and conducive to the 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, use 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 people 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 ac.t.s
on the part of the clergy ; also, that you will
direct them not to make use of any threats,
in
other means, not sanctioned by Government,
dissuading their parishioners from dnketnon ess
and other sins ; and, confining themselveserate use of
in-
struction, not to forbid the al
in changing the water into
tvrifnaoil
drinks, which our Saviour himplfoahtascapnear.mitted,
also to direct
Your Excellency will nothe
books sent them,
your parishioners to returnbo
destroyed ; and in
in order that such mayt
their
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religious calling. I
(Signed)r,