The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-02 00:00:00

NATIONAL TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.

On Friday, at 11 o'clock, a deputation from this
society had, at their request, an interview with the
Lord Mayor at the Mansion-house. There were.
present Alderman Sir Robert Carden ; Mr. Scott,
the Chamberlain of London ; Mr. C. F. Leaf, of
Old Change, Mr.Tweedie, Mr. Rae, Mr. Arpthorpe,
Mr. G. Frodsham, and others. Sir R. Carden, in
introducing the subject, said he most cordially ap-
proved the general cause of temperance, though he
did not go quite so far as some of the gentlemen
present. He believed, however, the League of
which they were members was guided by the
purest motives, and that the Lord Mayor in his
official experience saw daily more of the evil effects
of intemperance than perhaps any one else in the
whole city of London. Mr. Scott, the Chamberlain,
then presented to the Lord Mayor a memorial,
signed by 98 of the principle mercantile firms in
the city, some of the•aldermen, and other members
of the corporation, requesting the use of the Egyp-
tian-hall for a public meeting for the purpose of
promoting temperance among young men engaged
in industrial pursuits. Among the memorialists
were Mr. Samuel Gurney, M.P., Mr. Gilpin,
Mr. Samuel Morley, Messrs. Greatorex and Co.,
with many more of equal repute, and they were
said to employ among them many thousand young
men—one or two firms nearly as many as 200 each.
The object, Mr. Scott added, was to foster among
this Glass of the community at least an abstinence
from excess in the use of intoxicating drinks, if not
total abstinence. The Lord Mayor said undoubtedly

the promotion of temperance was a most desirable
object, but we should be temperate in all things.
He hoped no attempt would be made at the pro-
posed meeting to take a pledge from any one for
total abstinence. Mr. Tweedie said the deputa-
tion would undertake that the speakers on the
occasion should be judicious men, and not likely
to give offence to others in advocating their views.
In order, however, to induce young men to avoid
the temptations of London life the society would
take them a step further than ordinary tempe-
rance, as far even as taking the pledge, if in
individual cases there should be a desire to adopt
it. During the last summer returns had been re-
ceived from 35 societies in London, showing there
were about 10,000 members there, all of whom paid
a small weekly sum to maintain their organisations.
Nothing would encourage people like them more
than the chief citizen of London lending his high
sanction to the proposed meeting. The Lord Mayor
said a desperate disease called for a desperate
remedy. Here and there, no doubt, the sin of intoxi-
cation existed to such a degree as to require a vio-
lent remedy; but he thought taking the pledge was
not absolutely necessary. If it were only intended
by the proposed meeting to advance the cause of
temperance, he should gladly go with the general
feeling. Mr. C. J. Leaf remarked that temperance
in the language of the League meant total absti-
nence. The Lord Mayor said, in that case, he could
not be a party to it. Sir R. Carden said he strenu-
ously endeavoured to induce people to be temperate,
but he was certainly not in favour of total absti-
nence. Mr. Leaf said every speaker that would ad-
dress the meeting would advocate total abstinence.
The Lord Mayor replied he was bound in candour
to state that he could not go that length. Mr. Arp-
thorpe said the Lord Mayor, as a magistrate, must
know that there were men and women so habitually
addicted to intoxication that nothing on earth
would save them but total abstinence. Mr. Tweedie
said they should not think of convening the meet-
ing unless they were to be allowed to bring forward
the distinctive principles of their society. The Lord
Mayor asked how they would like him to say, if he
was called to the chair, he did not hold with abso-
lute and entire abstinence, and that he did not
think it right to advise people generally to take
the pledge. He thought the deputation and he
might compromise the matter by it being under-
stood that they were not to be fettered in saying
anything they liked, while he was not to be under
any engagement either to be silent or to advocate
total abstinence. The deputation, smiling, said that

they would be happy to fall in with that suggestion.
The Lord Mayor said he should be happy to join in
promoting so good a cause, believing that nothing
was more likely to tend to the regeneration of
society than abstinence, moderation, and temper-
ance. A day was then fixed for the meeting, and
the deputation withdrew.