Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-01-19
TUESDAY, JANUARY 49, IS41.

which was spent IN strong drink is now turn.
cd into the channels OF profitable consump-
ton, and we observe, with delight, the rapid
increase OF shops in which useful articles are
sold. We had not long since TO leave the
pathway, SO great was the crowd endoaVor-
ing 10 obtain enterance into a provision shop
| IN Thomas street, on n Saturday evening, and
as for clothing shops, they are multiplying as
rapidly as the drinking houses are decreasing.
1--WE viii take the liberty of quoting the
emphatic words Of Lord Chief Baron al The
commission The decrease Of crime il a
large population is one OF the surest eviden-
ces Of an improved state of things amongst
them we are now observed his lurdship,
assembled, after an interval of more than Tvs Q
m onths from the period Of the last sitting OF
41So court; we are assembled TO decide on the
/ graver classes Of offences committed by a
/ district Inhabited by, | believe, nearly four
| hundred thousand persons, and comprising a
/ large and crowded metropolis; and it is graft
! tying TO observe that after that interval there
Is not presented for trial here "A single case OF
| homlcIde-not a single case of assault affect
| ing the public peace-not a single case of as
sault endangering life, or a single case of ma =
lcious injury TO person or property
! Reports have been circulated Of serious re-
| lapse in Cork. The facts in the case have
been strictly enqured into, and II has been
found that the instances were rare, aud were
generally in consequence Of threats from en-
| ployers of dsmission from. service. About
one hundred, in consequence Of these threats,
withdrew their names, some Of whom speedily
retuned to their former bad habits Out Of 60
| cases, however brought before the Cork po-
lice successfully, close examination only
detected one pledge breaker. As in this
county, so in Ireland, any individual can at
pleasure withdraw from the society. The
manufacture Of whiskey has fallen off Three
and One Half Millions Of Gallons in 1910,
compared with 1899, and -f50O,O0O sterling
Tor about Two and One Half Millions of Dol
lars) in revenue TO government in conse-
quence.
The editor of the Herald remarks
This Is, indeed, glorious illustration OF
the results Of the temperance movement--a
complete reply TO those who still appear TO
think there is something unreal in it. The
revenue on whiskey in Ireland for the pas,
year decreased nearly c500, 000-thc guam
uty manufactured three and half millions of
gallons less than heretofore. Had any indi-
vldual been hardy enough even to hint at the
possibility ofsuch thing, two years ago, he
would have been laughed at-ridiculed as the
very prince of Missionaries. But it 10, never,
theless, the natural, The certain result, attend
ant on the mighty change in the habits Of our
population.
"But how small an item il the reduction in
the revenue compared to the other glorious
results which have followed Does any one
for moment suppose that such reductions
will embarrass even the government itself?-
If so let them reflect on the small military
force at present in Ireland-the vast reduction
OF crime-the quietude-the orderly conduct
of the people-the amount saved in criminal .
prosecutions, in the maintenance OF prisoners
&c. &c. Have we not already had instan-
ces Of the gentry coming forward and calling
for the reduction Of the police force, because
1t was now, even in their estimation, almost
totally unnecessary Have we not, in our
own city, evidence Of the saving effected by
the closing of the Smithfeld Penitcntiary-in
the lightened expenses Of prosecuting crimi-
nails, &c And viii not retrenchment 20 en-,
vento much greater extent then it has done'
"But If he could plunge into those haunts
which the guilty, the incorporate, the robber
are wont to frequent, it is there he would mark
the mighty change. 1t is true, temperance
has not done all; the poor degraded female
still lives by prostitution and robbery, and
she has many associates also more guilty
than herself; but still the reduction in the
number Of criminals is enormous. One of
the reclaimed lately declared that he saw two
men tried in Greek street for burglary, and
that, had II not been for temperance, he would
have been the leader of the gang, And how
many such cases as these must there be -
Yes, We repeat it, if we could penetrate the
darker reccsses of our land whore the mid
night cup was wont to clrCuatc-where the
drunken brawl was hcard-wherc tie young
were initiated into the dark mysteries of crime
where the lawless oath was administered
where murder, outrage and violence were
Matched and ios'ered. we should be able to
estimate what temperance has done for our
many have been stopped in their
career of yico-how many saved FROM piung-
ing into H."