The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-19 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS DAY.—Morning, 10h. 37m.—Afternoon, llh. 17m,
To-Mon.Row.-Morning, 11h. 51m.—Afternoon, Oh. Om

, 47,
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.tNIP

LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1868.

The discussion on Mr. ABEL SMITH'S Sale of
Liquors Bill yesterday afternoon proved at least
that the House of Commons is uniformly anxious
to encourage temperance, and to diminish drunken-

ness among the lower classes. If it were, as some
mischievous agitators contend it is, the object of
the upper classes of this country to keep the work-

ing man in a kind of moral slavery, and to deprive
him of all political power, they would not certainly
trouble themselves about restricting the means of

intoxication. Nothing could answer their purpose
better than the habitual drunkenness of classes
whom they wished to exclude from influence and
authority ; and we know, for a fact, that in former
days, w hen the drunkenness of the working classes was
far greater than it is now, that their moral and politi-
cal weight in the scale was absolutely insig-
nificant. The House of Commons at the present
is almost excessively anxious on the subject, and
hon. members are so apprehensive of being thought
indifferent to a great moral question that they are
more inclined to legislate mischievously than to
refuse to act. It was only one or two proverbially
outspoken members who had courage last night to
declare that any arbitrary interference with the
comforts of the populace on moral grounds always
does more harm than good. The end of the debate
was that the bill was read a second time, on the
understanding that the House was not pledged to
its support, and referred to a select committee,
whose duty it would be to consider the subject in
all its bearings, licensing question and all. Before
any :decision is arrived at we have no doubt
that the public opinion of the country
will make itself felt, since the subject
is one on which common sense and expe-
rience have a good deal to say. We all know that
the very last way to make a man go in any parti-
cular direction is to attempt to drive him, more
especially if that man be an Englishman ; and if
Parliament attempt to drive the whole community
along the road to temperance nolens volens it is more
than probable that the result will be diametrically
opposite to their intentions. The working classes,
as the advocates of the bill admit, are far more
temperate than of old—indeed one of Mr. ABEL
SMITH'S chief arguments is the desire of the majo-
rity of working men that fresh restrictions should
be placed on the sale of liquors. About this we may
reasonably feel somewhat sceptical, but there is nu
doubt as to the fact of the improvement in sobriety
Why, then, should we not trust to the gradual

influence of those educational and elevating mea-
sures which have already done so much to better
the moral and physical condition of the labourer ?
We may depend upon it their agency, if slower, is

far surer than that of any forcibly repressive mea-
sures. No one can for a moment deny the extra-
ordinary change for the better which has taken I
place during the last fifty years in the habits of the
upper and middle classes. Was this brought about
by closing the clubs and hotels, and by limiting the
sales of the wine merchant ? We may hope
that those who come after us may be able
to realise as marked a change which we may
believe is already inaugurated. If we want
to undo much of the good that has been done, to
throw back the work and hamper the progress of
the reformer, we shall attempt to practise that easy
virtue of restraining the excesses of other people,
and of those, moreover, whose temptations are dif-
ferent from our own, whose passions, if not stronger,
are less disciplined, and who are naturally
suspiciously sensitive of having their pleasures or
habits controlled by legislation. We had a speci-
men of the sort of feeling excited among the usuhlly
orderly and peace-loving mechanics and artisans of
London by interference of this sort some years since
in the reception of Lord ROBEP.T GROSVENOR'S Sun-

day Trading Bill, of whose fate Mr. OsBORNE re-
minded the house last evening. The working man
feels naturally indignant that a burden is to
be put upon him which his richer neighbour is not
called upon to bear, and Mr. ROEBUCK'S declara-
tion that, in the event of the bill's passing the
second reading, he should. move that it be applied
to the clubs of London, was full of shrewd sense.
How many M.P.'s drink water on Sunday ? and if
they would find the prohibition of their ordinary
refreshment irksome and disagreeable, why are they
to demand that the working man shall put up with
it? It is the sober man who will feel the inconve-
nience, for the confirmed and wilful drunkard will
never be without the means for his gratification.
As has been often said, a bottle of gin may be
had within the Limited hours, and consumed when
everypublic-house is shut ; but the sobertan,return-
,