The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-15 00:00:00

,/

MASSEY ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS.

In an address to the electors of Viverpool, the itigk.
'lon. W. N. Massey, after a long discourse on local affairs
and the Irish Church, thus summed up the political action
which would be taken by the Liberal party. The question
of the land tenure in Ireland was one that would also
engage attention. The Liberal party would pursue
towards Ireland a system of conciliation, so that
that country should no longer be a dead limb at our
side, or even a source of danger to us when we were in
peril. The question of retrenchment would engage them,
as would also the question of education. The Liberal party
would open the universities to all persons, without regard
to religious-opinions. They would enlarge the scheme of
primary education, and would inaugurate a system which
would admit all their fellow•subjects to those benefits of
klowledge which qualified men for the exercise of political
rights. The bankruptcy law also needed attention. The
commercial honour and credit of the country had been
seriously impaired in consequence of mistaken legislation.
On both these points would the Liberal party take action.
He believed that upon the satisfactory settlement of these
questions depended not simply the material prosperity of
the nation, but the public morality and stability of the
kingdom.

THE ADULTER ITION OF BEER

At the annual dinner of theFreshwell Labourers' Friend
Society, held at G r.at Bardficld, Essex, a day or two
back, Mr. H. Selwyn-Ibbetsen in the chair, Lord Eustace
Cecil, M.P., in propcsing one of the toasts, entered into
the question of the adulteration of beer. His lordship
observed that statistics informed them that every year a
large number of the people of this country, not only of the
agricultural class, died from drunkenness. This was a sad
fact; but they could not possibly tell the numbers who
suffered in their health by imbibing bad liquor. Not long
ago, as a member of the Malt-tax Committee, he could
not help saying that he listened with very great con.
cern to the recital of the malpractices of beer-sellers. The
national drink—the drink that the labourers-looked upon
as both meat and drink—was systematically poisoned. lie
had taken the trouble to look into a few of the ingredients
that were commonly put into liquors, he did not say
by whom, . for that was not his purpose ; but,
among other articles, there were cocculus inclicus,
grains of Paradise, and copperas, the latter being
nothing less than green vitriol. He would leave it to those
he saw before him to calculate how much harm such
things as these must do to the physical strength and
health of the labourers. As employers of labour it was a
serious question for them to consider, for it not only depre-
ciated the value of their labourer, but it also depreciated
his whole capital—his health and strength. It was commonly
said at meetings of this kind that the great curse to the
country was the beerhouses, but he believed a much greater
curse was the stuff that was sold in them. Pure beer was
undoubtedly an invigorating beverage, and he did not
think they had greater proof of this than was afforded by
that great beer-drinking nation the Germans. The inha-
bitants of Germany were mostly robust people, but then
it must be remembered that their beer was pure, which he
was afraid could not be said of the English beer. What
was the remedy for this state of things ? They could not
do what some Eastern nations had been said to do to the
defaulting baker—nail him by the ear to the door, nor
could they do as the French police officers did when they
found any person had adulterated their milk—viz., empty
the can of milk into, the street. The true remedy
was some change in the law. The law was too merciful
to people who adulterated drink or used false weights
and measures. He thought, too, that some change, he
would not say what, was undoubtedly necessary iu thebeer
licensing system, and he hoped before another Parliament
had ceased to exist the question would have been tho-
roughly considered, and some good motion, either from
the Government or the Opposition, have been brought
forward and carried, unless there was a still further change
—a change in public opinion. They might depend upon
it that until men habitually adopting such a custom as he
alluded to, until men who had been convicted of adulterat-
ing liquors and using false weights and measures were
looked upon as convicted criminals, they would never have
any real and effectual chance.

'THE LATE EDITION of " THE SUN' at
JAMES SPEEDY'S, "The Wellington," Wellington-street,

Strand.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Vining.
Tins EVENING, at 7, A CHARMING PAIR. After which, at 8,
AFTER DARK, a Tale of London Life: Mr. Vining, Mr. Walter
Lacy, Mr. Dominick Murrby; Messrs. C. Harcourt, J. G. Shore,
Maclean, Holston; Miss Trissy Marston and Miss Rose Leelercq.
Concluding with MASTER JONES'S BIRTHDAY.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Swanborough

TUTS EVENING, at 7.30, SISTERLY S 14;RVICE. Messrs. Bel-
ford, Harcourt; Miss Longmore. THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH
OF GOLD : Messrs. Thorne, James, Fenton; Mesdames Maria
Longmore, B. Goodall, Lydia Maitland, Claire, and Hughes. To
conclude with MARRIAGE AT ANY PRICE.

QUEEN'S THEATRE, LONG-ACRE.
Manager, Mr. W. H. Liston.
THIS EVENING, at 7, THE TROBADOUR : Mr. L. Brough and
Miss Montague. And THE LANCASHIRE LASS: Messrs.
Irving, L. Brough, Stephens, Wyndham, Clayton, and S. Emery;
Mesdames Hodson, Montague, and Nelly Moore.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HOLBORN.
Under the Management of Miss Fanny Josephs.
This EVENING, at 7, MISCEIIEF MAKING: Messrs. Drew,
Howard; Mesdames Turner and Challis. At 8, BLOW FOR
BLOW: Messrs. Honey, Cowper, Haynes, Arthur, Westland, and
Parselle; Mesdames Foote, Weathersby, and Itignold.

THEATRE-ROYAL, OLYMPIC.
Tms EVENING, at 7, TO OBLIGE BENSON: Messrs Atkins,
Vaughan, and 11. Wigan: Miss Lennox Grey and Mias Furtado.
After which, at 8, THE TICKET OF LEAVE MAN: Messrs. H.
No-tile, G. Vincent, H. Cooper, E. Atkins, R. Soutar, ILVadighan,
and H. Wigan; Mesdames Furtado, Lennox Grey, E. Farron,
and Caulfield.

ROYALTY TII EATRE.
Under the Management of Miss M. Oliver.
Tars EVENING, at 7.30, MARRIED DAUGHTERS: Messrs.
Day, Russell, and Dewar; Mesdames Thompson. Bromley,
and M. Oliver. After which, THE RISE AND FALL OF
RICHARD III.; or, A New Front to an Old Dicky: Mr. Dewar,
Mr. Danvers; Miss Collinson, and bliss M. Oliver. To con-
clude with THE MISTRESS OF THE MILL.

PRINCE OF WALES'S ROYAL THEATRE.
Under the Management of Miss Marie Wilton.
THIS EVENING, ATCHI! Messrs. Blakeley and Montague;
Misses Addison and A. Wilton. After which, SOCIETY : Messrs.
J. Clarke, Hare, H. J. Montague, Blakeley, Montgomery, and
Bancroft; Mrs. Buckingham White and Miss C. Addison.

ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.
Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswick.
THIS EVENING, THE MODEL HUSBAND. And at 7.45,
LAND RATS AND WATER RATS: Mavis, Mr. Creswick;
Jonas, Mr. Shepherd; Messrs. E. F. Edgar, Vollaire, W. Crosby,
M at. Robson; Miss Pauncefort, Miss Elizabeth Webster, Miss E.
Lennard. With BEAUTIFUL FOR EVER.