The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-07-19 00:00:00

TOTAL ABSTINENCE FESTIVAL.

On Monday last, the several Temperance Societies of this
:own commenced their week's anniversary celebration of

their formation, and have since continued it'withincie7shrg
interest and effect. The preparations made were obviously
on a more extended scale than on any former occasion of the

Abstinence Festival, and the result has been proportionately
gratifying to the friends of rational recreation, good order,

and sobriety.
On Monday public meetings, attended by young and old
of both sexes in their best attire, were held in the Music-
Hall ; Leece-street Academy ; and at the Catholic, Seel-
street, and Great Howard-street School-rooms. These
meetings were addressed by the leaders of the respective
societies, and by several distinguished advocates of the tem-
perance cause in the town, as well as from various parts of
the country ; and the whole went off with spirit and effect.
On Tuesday similar meetings were held at Ed=und-street
Chapel-, Hanover Chapel, Toxteth-park, St. Andrew's-place,
Marine, Watkinson-street. These were also well attended,
and were addressed by several strangers in a very eloquent

and impressive manner.
In the evening a tea-party of the Howard Society and
their friends took place in the Templars'-hall, Great George-
street. Grace was said by the Rev. Mr. Young, after which
a hymn was sung, and a chapter from the Bible read. Jas.
Spence, Esq. presided, and expressed his great delight to
see around him so many respectable females, as it was in
their power greatly to assist in the promotion of- their good
cause, and thus to do eminent good to the whole human
family. With respect to speaking in public, it was a delu-
sion to suppose that any one could speak more warmly or
more argumentatively under the influence of wine : on the
contrary, the sober man could speak longer and better with-
out it. Strong drink was the foe of man. God did not send
us rivers of wine and whisky. Strong drink indeed (as he
had found when presiding at masonic meetings) made men
sing merry songs : but this was not real enjoyment. It was
only a wild phrenzy, and in the morning the result was de-
pression of spirits, headache, and self-dissatisfaction and
reproach. If wine gave strength, why not administer it to
horses, who had heavy loads to draw ? Water was the best
beverage ; water, sweet water, heavenly water ! He hoped
this day would mark the commencement of a bright era for
the Howard Association ; and concluded by an appeal to the
ladies, who were so gifted to persuade, to assist them in
extending its influence far and wide. (Cheers.)—Mr. Cork-
ran, from Dublin, in a facetious speech, called upon all pre-
sent to set the example to their poorer brethren. It behoved
them especially to encourage them to sobriety; for the poor
man, after his hard day's labour, had a stronger inducement
to go to the public-house than the rich, who had elegancies
and luxuries to resort to at home. He strongly deprecated
the gross amusement of horse-racing, with all its demoralising
concomitants—gambling, drinking, and every species of vice.
(Cheers.) He humorously noticed the habit of drinking
healths in wine, and contended that they might pledge each
other quite as cordially in pure and wholesome water. Ire-
land would never be subordinate, peaceable, or prosperous,
until temperance had there found its way : and the Duke of
Leinster might in vain expend his thousands to improve his
tenantry, if he could not remove the whisky-shops. (Cheers.)
—Mr. Hodson, from Bolton, in an able address, announced
that the abstinence party in Bolton had raised £BOO for the
erection of a Temperance Hall. (Cheers.)—Mr. Grubb, of
Preston, in a very long address, descanted with his accus-
tomed eloquence on the evils of intemperance, and the bless-
ings, both physically and morally, of total abstinence ; but
we regret that we have not space to give his arguments at
length, and to abridge them would be to mutilate. He was
received with loud cheers, and sat down amidst enthusiastic
applause.—Mr. Heyworth entreated those who yet scrupled
to sign the pledge, at least to come forward with their con-
tributions. He knew there were many there who contributed
largely to Tract and Bible Societies ; but all their exertions
would be futile, without the introduction of sobriety amongst
the people. There was more crime committed between Sa-
turday night and Monday morning, than during' the whole
of the rest of the week ; and it was an appalling fact, that
on Monday there were upwards of 180 victims of intemper-
ance brought to the Police-office and fined, most of them
having been apprehended on the Lord's day. He concluded
by appealing to the ladies, whose judgment was, he thought,
too seldom sought for; for they often arrived at right con-
clusions, by a straight railway, while those calling themselves
" lords of the creation " took a very circuitous course to
reach the object. (Cheers.)—A psalm was then sung, and
the meeting dispersed, highly delighted with the evening's
proceedings.